Actor Imran Khan, singer Arijit Singh join celebrities backing New Delhi student protests

Stars urge restraint and dialogue as more public figures voice support for protesting students across Indian capital

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Sonam Wangchuk, an Indian education reformer, who has been on hunger strike, gestures as he recieves a back massage during a sit-in protest called by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India. Photo: Reuters

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More Indian celebrities have joined the growing chorus of voices backing the student protests in New Delhi, urging authorities to engage with demonstrators and refrain from using force.

Singer Arijit Singh and actors Imran Khan and Zeenat Aman are among the latest public figures to express support for the movement, following similar statements by Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shabana Azmi and Pooja Bhatt.

According to Gulf News, Arijit Singh took to X to condemn the reported use of force against students. "Now you are beating the students. Aren't you ashamed?... Everything will be remembered," the singer wrote.

Actor Imran Khan also voiced solidarity with the protesters following the demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, saying students deserved to be heard.

Sharing a statement on Instagram, the actor wrote: "Something broke in me today. Watching as police gassed and battered student protestors... How could I make sense of this? These students worked hard, only to be failed by the system. These people who asked to be heard, only to be met with silence. These citizens who stood up for what matters to them... beaten down and disowned by the establishment."

He added: "Are these not the children of Mother India? If not them, for whom do we build, and whose future do we claim to protect? Those who demand 'organization' from students protesting education reform, but don't apply such lofty standards of accountability to established authority; bootlickers, one and all. If we don't listen to those who have the most at stake today, we forfeit all our tomorrows. There is no choice here but one: solidarity with the students."

A few days earlier, veteran actor Zeenat Aman also reiterated her support for activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike since the protests began.

"My thoughts today are in the country's capital city, where Sonam Wangchuk's vigil is entering the 17th day of his indefinite hunger strike. I read in a news article that Mr Wangchuk has started losing muscle mass and is in immense pain," she wrote. "We must not become a society that sits back and watches one of its greatest minds be sacrificed," she added.

Gulf News also reported that actors Huma Qureshi, Sanya Malhotra and Ali Fazal have spoken out in support of the demonstrations, while some fans continue to call on stars including Shah Rukh Khan, Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt to publicly comment on the issue.

The protests continued in New Delhi on Tuesday, with students and supporters gathering at multiple locations to press their demands. Demonstrators have vowed to continue the movement until their concerns are addressed, as calls for restraint and dialogue from public figures continue to grow.