With youth protests against alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams gathering steam in the country, several actors and sportspersons have supported the demonstrations and criticised the police action during the march to Parliament in Delhi on Monday.

Prominent actors such as Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt expressed solidarity with the students on social media, while others, including Shabana Azmi, Imran Khan and Huma Qureshi, joined protesters in Delhi and Mumbai.

The protests began on June 6, when the Cockroach Janta Party started its demonstration at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that he was responsible for paper leaks in national competitive examinations.

On Sunday, thousands joined the protest in Delhi after the police forcibly shifted activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike, to a hospital.

A march to Parliament on Monday was met with heavy police action. Dozens of protesters were injured in baton charges and had to brave tear gas.

The police action widened the support for the agitation, which soon spread to other cities.

In Mumbai, the police detained scores of demonstrators between Tuesday and Wednesday as they held solidarity protests with the Cockroach Janta Party’s agitation in Delhi.

The detentions, along with the use of force by security forces, drew responses from several public figures.

R Madhavan – who starred in the popular Dhurandhar franchise that was widely considered to be propaganda for the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government – said that he admires the “grit and determination” of the protesters.

“As someone who has always believed in the limitless potential of India’s youth, I share the concern and disappointment felt by so many students and parents today,” he wrote on social media on Thursday.

Madhavan added: “An education system must inspire confidence, fairness, and opportunity. Incidents such as examination paper leaks undermine that trust...”

He urged the Union government to ensure that all those found responsible for paper leaks are “brought to justice swiftly and decisively”.

Actor Alia Bhatt said that the resolve of the students who are protesting “is a mirror held up to all of us, asking whether we are truly listening to the very people who will inherit and shape this country’s tomorrow”.

Expressing her support, she added that the protesting students are “creating a better path for those who will come after them”.

Actor Salman Khan said on Wednesday that it was “sad” that a peaceful movement against alleged irregularities in competitive exams “had to take a violent turn”.

“My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt,” he said on social media. “Paper leak is a very serious issue, and I am glad to know and see that the kids of our country have come together for a better educational system.”

Khan added that he appreciated the stand taken by students. The protest was the “right way to go about it, and the students have done this peacefully”, he said.

He added: “Education should be the next trend and fashion.”

Actors Imran Khan and Rasika Duggal were among the celebrities who joined the demonstrations held in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Actor-producer siblings Saqib Saleem and Huma Qureshi also arrived at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday morning.

Among those present at the Cockroach Janta Party’s march to Parliament on Monday were actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj. Azmi said that peaceful protest was a constitutional right and urged the government to listen to the students’ concerns. Raj said that “when history is written tomorrow, they may forgive those who might have made the mistake, but they will never forgive those who were silent”, The Indian Express reported.

Azmi also helped end the 23-day hunger strike of three All India Students’ Association activists after appeals from social activists and political leaders.

Actor Swara Bhasker has also publicly supported the movement and visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar.

Actors Hrithik Roshan and Sonakshi Sinha were also among the first Hindi film personalities to express solidarity with the students after the police action in Delhi.

Sportspersons speak about education

Without mentioning the protests, Abhinav Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, wrote on social media that “regardless of where we stand”, education is a matter that “belongs to all of us”.

“The measure of a nation is found not only in its economy or its achievements, but in the opportunities it creates for its young people,” he said. “An education system that inspires confidence, rewards merit and nurtures curiosity is one of a nation’s greatest strengths.”

Bindra added: “I hope we can all unite and work together to continually strengthen our education system.”

Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan said that while it is essential to understand what the youth wants, “it is equally important to maintain patience in difficult times and keep faith in the country’s institutions and government”.

“I believe that the solution to every challenge emerges with patience,” he said. “India has always moved forward and will continue to progress.”

On Wednesday, World Cup winning cricketer cricketer Yuvraj Singh said in an Instagram story that “amicable solution for the sake of India’s future” can be found through dialogue.

“To every child, student, woman and man: you deserve the opportunity to learn in peace, grow with safety and chase your dreams,” he said. “Your well-being is the foundation of a brighter India.”

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh's Instagram story.

Boxer Nikhat Zareen had on Tuesday urged the Union government to hold a dialogue with the protesting students.

“Students are the future,” she wrote on social media. “Listen before they stop speaking. Nations don’t grow by silencing questions. They grow by answering them. Dialogue safeguards tomorrow. That is democracy.”