‘Students should not be treated like this’: Diljit Dosanjh backs CJP protesters

Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh on Tuesday took to social media to voice strong concern over the recent mistreatment and handling of protesting students by authorities.

In an Instagram Story post written in Punjabi and English, the artist appealed to officials to listen to the students' demands while acknowledging that speaking out would likely invite another round of "anti-national" accusations against him.

Dosanjh’s statement comes a day after the Cockroach Janata Party and its supporters took out a 'Sansad Chalo' rally from Jantar Mantar to agitate against the examination irregularities and administrative crackdowns.


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"What happened today was extremely unfortunate [very bad]. Students should not have been treated like this. I request the authorities to listen to the demands of the students. The voice of the people is the voice of God. The tag of 'anti-nationalist' has already been attached to me many times. Even now, I will be called an anti-nationalist. After the Farmers' Protest [Kisan Protest], I faced a lot of backlash and legal problems which I can’t even discuss...Rest, God is watching everything. May the Almighty grant good to all," he wrote.

The CJP protest began as an online youth movement and later moved to the streets, demanding reforms in the examination process like that of NEET and has sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest also gained momentum after Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and his subsequent shifting to a hospital, which became another point of criticism from supporters of the movement.

The movement’s founder Abhijeet Dipke launched CJP after a controversy around the use of the term “cockroaches” for unemployed youth and activists. What started as a satirical campaign gained traction among students and young people before becoming a larger protest platform.

The latest ‘Sansad Chalo’ march from Jantar Mantar saw thousands of students and supporters gather in Delhi. The protest witnessed clashes between demonstrators and authorities, with police action reported and both sides making allegations over the handling of the situation.