Actor Imran Khan took part in a protest in Mumbai on Wednesday in solidarity with students demonstrating over the alleged leak of NEET question papers and other exam-related irregularities. A day earlier, he had strongly criticized police action reportedly taken against protesters during the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march in Delhi.During the Mumbai protests, Imran was asked how he would respond to actors who choose to stay away from political discussions, arguing that art and politics should remain separate. The question was posed by an aspiring actor who was at the parade.Imran responded firmly, rejecting the idea that artists can separate their work from their personal beliefs. “True art will embed the artist’s personal perspective, and as part of our humanity, we will have views and opinions that are true to ourselves. If you can’t stick to your own point of view, if you don’t put your heart into your art, your art has no value.”His comments come as some celebrities remain silent on the student movement while others openly support the protests through public appearances and social media statements.Earlier, Imran issued an emotional statement after footage of the Delhi demonstrations surfaced online, expressing his anguish over reports of students being tear-gassed and police charged.“I’m kind of broken inside today. Watching the police gassing student protesters…how can I understand this? These students who study hard are being failed by the system. These people demand to be heard and are met with silence.” These citizens who stood up to show what was important to them … were beaten and denied by those in power,” he wrote.Questioning the treatment of protesters, he further wrote, “Are these not Mother India’s children? If not them, who are we building for, whose future do we claim to protect?”Imran also criticized those who expect students to be more organized but, according to him, fail to hold institutions and authorities to the same level of responsibility.The movement led by the Cockroach Jantar Party (CJP) has now been going on for almost a month, with protesters seeking accountability for the alleged leak of NEET documents and demanding the resignation of the federal education minister. Dharmendra Pradhan.The protests were also joined by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is reportedly on his 26th day of hunger strike. Earlier this week, students attempted to march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament as part of the ‘Chalo Sansad’ movement.
