Mumbai, July 22 (IANS) Actress and politician Rupali Ganguly has spoken up on the ongoing protests at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
The actress, who joined BJP in 2024, took to her X, formerly Twitter, and penned a long note, as she shared her opinion on the protests, and put forth the narrative of protests being hijacked.
She wrote, “Those who take the law into their own hands, vandalize public property, and attack the police cannot be called students. Such actions only weaken a legitimate cause. The demand for justice over paper leaks is valid. Students deserve a fair examination system, accountability, and strong safeguards to ensure that such incidents never happen again. In recent paper leak cases, governments and investigating agencies have launched probes, arrested suspects, and initiated legal action against those allegedly involved”.
She further mentioned, “At the same time, efforts have been announced to strengthen the examination process and prevent future leaks. Unfortunately, when violence replaces peaceful protest, genuine student concerns risk being overshadowed. If anti-national or politically motivated elements exploit student movements for their own agenda, it harms the very students seeking justice. India stands with its students. India stands with its people. The fight should be for transparency, accountability, and better reforms—not for violence or destruction. To every student and every citizen: protest peacefully, stay united, and do not let anyone hijack your movement or manipulate your emotions for political or ideological agendas. Your future is too important to become someone else’s tool. Peaceful, democratic action is the strongest way to bring lasting change”.
The political atmosphere in the country is fast spiralling with protests now spreading to tier 1 cities from metros.
The situation is tense and volatile in the national capital with ripples being felt across cities like Mumbai and Kolkata. The protests intensified after Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed by Delhi Police from the protest site at Jantar Mantar in the early hours of July 18 after completing 21 days of an indefinite hunger strike. Authorities shifted him to a hospital, citing his deteriorating health, medical advice and compliance with a Delhi High Court order.
Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive exams. The raging issue of paper leaks across academia reached a fever pitch with the NEET paper leak. On July 20, protestors were lathi-charged at Jantar Mantar leading to violent clashes between the former and the law enforcement. Sonam Wangchuk has entered day 24 of his hunger strike in light of exam paper leaks, and irregularities in the education system, and has vowed to continue the strike after protestors were subjected to brutal crackdown by Delhi police.
–IANS
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