After University of Delhi Issued an advisory asking students to avoid the protests taking place across the city and avoid Jantar Mantar, actor-director Pooja Bhatt strongly criticized the move. He argued that the institution should stand up for students’ “right to speak” instead of trying to suppress it.
DU has asked students to avoid illegal assemblies
On Thursday, Delhi University posted an advisory on social media asking all students to avoid “unlawful assemblies,” including the Jantar Mantar protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The message read, “Dear students and teachers, your safety is important to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action.” Such activities may also pose serious risks to students’ personal safety and greatly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and prioritize their safety and obey the law. In addition, you are advised to be careful because a lot of fake and misleading content is created and spread to promote the situation. “
Pooja Bhatt criticizes DU’s advisory against protests
A few hours later, Pooja Bhatt responded to DU’s message by sharing it on Twitter (now X), she wrote, “Students’ safety is more at risk when their voices are suppressed.
Pooja Bhatt’s statements come amid protests at Jantar Mantar across the country
At Jantar Mantar, New Delhi’s designated protest site, thousands of young demonstrators, rallied by the Cockroach Janta Party, gathered to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the education system, including the leaking of NEET papers. The protests were not limited to the capital, spreading to several Indian cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru. “This movement will not stop until we get Pradhan’s resignation,” the CJP said in a post on X. “Together we will fight, together we will win.” For his part, Pradhan responded to the protests, accusing the Congress party of using “students as political tools to create trouble.”
Sonam Wangchuk the hunger strike will end
Sonam Wangchuk, the teacher who has been fasting in solidarity with protesting students for more than 20 days, broke her hunger strike early Friday morning. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a statement announcing that those accused in the NEET leak case have been arrested and that fast-track courts have been set up to ensure that the case proceeds quickly.