Arijit Singh condemns police action against NEET protesters: 'Aren't you ashamed?'
Padma Shri recipient Arijit Singh joins growing list of celebrities criticising alleged police violence during student demonstrations over medical entrance exam irregularities that affected over 2.27 million aspirants.
Arijit Singh condemns police action against NEET protesters: 'Aren't you ashamed?'
Singer Arijit Singh has become one of the latest celebrities to speak out against alleged police violence during ongoing student protests in India, issuing a strongly worded message on social media condemning reported use of force against demonstrators.
Singh, who received the Padma Shri in 2025 and has won two National Film Awards and eight Filmfare Awards, took to X after videos of clashes surfaced online. "Now you are beating the students. Aren't you ashamed? ... Everything will be remembered," the singer wrote.
NEET Exam Cancellation Sparks Nationwide Protests
The protests erupted following the cancellation of the 2026 NEET examination on May 12, 2026. The exam, held on May 3 for over 2.27 million aspirants, was scrapped after investigations revealed overlaps between a pre-circulated guess paper and the actual question paper. NEET, introduced in 2013 as the mandatory examination for admission to medical courses in India, serves as the single gateway to undergraduate medical education, with more than 2.2 million students competing for approximately 129,600 MBBS seats across 824 medical colleges.
The Cockroach Janta Party Movement
Demonstrations have been led by the youth-driven Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical political movement founded on May 16, 2026 by Abhijeet Dipke. The movement emerged in response to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, who compared unemployed youth to 'cockroaches' and 'parasites of society' on May 15, 2026. Within days of its founding, the movement garnered over 350,000 sign-ups and over 20 million followers on Instagram.
Since June 6, 2026, CJP has been holding protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi alongside established student organisations including the Students Federation of India, All India Students Association and All India Students Federation. Protesters have been demanding greater accountability and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Tensions escalated after police clashed with protesters during a march towards Parliament, with videos from the confrontation spreading rapidly across social media platforms.
Growing Celebrity Support for Protesters
Singh was not alone in voicing support for the students. Actors including Huma Qureshi, Sonakshi Sinha, Shashank Arora, Sanya Malhotra, Ishaan Khatter, Siddharth, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Rajat Barmecha also expressed solidarity with the protesters or criticised the alleged police action. However, major stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, Alia Bhatt and Anushka Sharma are yet to comment publicly on the issue.
The singer's remarks come amid growing scrutiny of Bollywood celebrities over their responses to the protests. While several public figures have openly backed the students, others have faced criticism for remaining silent. Earlier today, ETimes reported that a Katrina Kaif fan page with more than 70,000 followers shut down, with its administrator citing disappointment over the actress's silence on the issue, reigniting debate over whether celebrities have a responsibility to speak out on matters of public concern.
