Pooja Bhatt Criticises Delhi University's Advisory Asking Students To Avoid Jantar Mantar Protests: 'Their Safety Is More In Jeopardy If...'

Actress-director Pooja Bhatt has criticised Delhi University's advisory asking students and faculty to stay away from the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar, saying young people should be encouraged to exercise their right to speak instead of being silenced.

For those unversed, the university issued the advisory as protests over irregularities in the education system, including the alleged NEET paper leak, continued to draw large crowds in the national capital. Demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have also spread to cities such as Mumbai and Bengaluru, with protesters demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Click here for CJP Jantar Mantar Protest LIVE updates

On Thursday, Delhi University shared a public advisory on social media urging students and faculty to avoid what it described as unlawful assemblies at Jantar Mantar. The university stated, "Dear students and faculty, your safety matters 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 can also pose serious risks to students' personal safety and significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities. Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law. Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation," it further read.

A few hours later, Pooja Bhatt reposted the university's message on X (formerly known as Twitter) and expressed her disagreement with the advisory. She wrote, "The students safety is more in jeopardy if their voices are suppressed. If we are truly invested in their future, we must support their right to speak out rather than maintain a conspiracy of silence."

The protests at Jantar Mantar have largely focused on demands for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Reiterating its stand, the Cockroach Janta Party said in a post on X, "This movement will not stop until we get the resignation of Pradhan. We will fight together, we will win together."

Pradhan responded strongly to the protests, accusing the Congress party of using "students as political tools to manufacture disruption."

Meanwhile, educator Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike early on Friday after fasting in solidarity with students for more than 20 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the issue, saying that those accused in the alleged NEET paper leak had been arrested and that the government was setting up fast-track courts to expedite the case.