Actor Shalini Pandey was one of the many who joined the students’ protests in Mumbai this week at Shivaji Park. The protest over the NEET exam irregularities began in New Delhi and has since spread across the country, with students taking to the streets to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. She also praised Shabana Azmi, who joined the Cockroach Janata Party protest in New Delhi. (Also Read: ‘Talk about it like it’s Dhurandhar 3’: Gurfateh Pirzada, Pratibha Ranta, Akasa Singh join students’ protest in Mumbai)
Shalini Pandey posts from Mumbai protest
Shalini posted numerous photos and videos of the Mumbai student protest on her Instagram account. “I was there. This is what I saw, what I felt, and what I will carry with me. To every brave heart I met while I was there, thank you for the steel in your spines, the resilience in your souls, and for the reminder that nothing can crush hope,” she wrote, adding in Hindi, “A salute to these brave hearts. Jai Hind.”
Praises Shabana Azmi’s courage and resilience
On her Instagram Stories, she also posted a video of Shabana joining the movement and talking about it. Posting it, Shalini wrote, “May we all be blessed with a little of her courage, integrity, resilience, and fearless heart. @azmishabana.” In the video, Shabana revealed that she and Javed Akhtar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Javed Akhtar saab had written a letter to the Prime Minister requesting that he initiate a dialogue with Sonam (Wangchuk) sir to hear him out. We are not going to the press; we requested him directly. So, we’re hoping that he responds,” said the veteran actor, adding, “We received a response from his office that he would reply in two days. We waited, two days passed, three days passed, four days passed, and only then did I come here.”
Shabana also spoke out against those misrepresenting the purpose of the protest, stating, “And why is this being projected as something else? The kind of things women using the washrooms at night have to hear, I feel ashamed that people of our country can behave this way. But we must not fear.”
Gurfateh Pirzada, Pratibha Ranta, Akasa Singh and a few others had also posted pictures and videos after attending the Mumbai protest. Prakash Raj, Shabana Azmi, and rapper Hanumankind had marched with the students during the Chalo Sansad march on Monday. The protesters faced police action, with lathi charge and tear gas used. Several celebrities have spoken out against the same. The CJP protest still continues at Jantar Mantar.