'Nation Failed Its Children': Kamal Haasan Slams Police Crackdown At CJP Protest, Urges Sonam Wangchuk To End His Fast

Several celebrities from the entertainment industry, including Shabana Azmi, Sonu Sood, Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Raj, Huma Qureshi, Bhumi Pednekar, and others, criticised the Delhi Police lathi-charge on students during the Parliament march of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Now, veteran actor and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has voiced his support for the ongoing nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak controversy with a strong message on social media. He condemned the police brutality and urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite fast, saying the country would need him in the coming days.

Kamal Haasan backs student protests

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kamal Haasan wrote, “We should have listened when one child cried. Instead, we waited until far too many of our children died. A system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten. A nation has failed when its children are met with barricades and batons instead of answers.”

Appeal to Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike

The 71-year-old actor also requested Wangchuk to end his indefinite fast. “@Wangchuk66, the nation will need your conscience for the journey ahead. Please end your fast,” he wrote.

Backing the students and the CJP, he further wrote, “To the children of India: You are the best of us. You have done your duty. It is now time for the country to do its duty by you. May your dreams forever be bigger than our failures. @cockroachisback #CJPProtest.”

Have a look at Kamal Haasan's post here.

For the unversed, Wangchuk is on his 26th day of a hunger strike, and still demanding accountability and education reforms.

The 59-year-old activist is currently in a private medical facility and has lost about 11 kg during the fast.