Call me anti-national again: Diljit backs students after Parliament protest

Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh criticised the police action against protesters during the CJP's 'Sansad Chalo' march, urging the government to hear students' demands. He said he expected to be labelled "anti-national" again for speaking out, recalling the backlash after the farmers' protests

New Delhi: Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh on Tuesday said the police action against protesters during their “Sansad Chalo” march was “wrong” and insisted that the government must listen to students’ demand, while acknowledging that he could once again be labelled “anti-national”.

As part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Sansad Chalo” protest, thousands of protesters gathered on Monday marched towards Parliament but were met with tear gas and lathi-charge by police.

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“What happened today was very wrong. Students should not have been treated like this. I request the authorities to listen to the students’ demands. The voice of the people is the voice of God,” Diljit wrote in Punjabi on his Intagram Stories.

The actor also recalled the backlash and legal issues he faced when he supported the yearlong farmer’s protests in 2020-2021. “I have already been labelled an ‘anti-national’ many times. Even now, I know I will be called anti-national again. After the farmers’ protest, I faced a lot of backlash and legal problems that I still cannot even discuss. The rest, God is watching everything. May Baba bless everyone,” the “Main Vaapas Aaunga” actor said.

Earlier this month, Diljit had distanced himself from the CJP protest, saying he is an artiste, not a politician. “Keep me away from all this… Bro, I’m an artist. I’m no politician, I don’t know what you think I am,” Diljit had said during an Instagram Live session on July 1.

The CJP, an organic movement against paper leaks and alleged irregularities in the exam system that started with a comment by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant referring to the youth as ‘cockroaches’, has been sitting at Jantar Mantar since June 20. The protest gathered traction with activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike.

The movement has received support from celebrities including Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, Prakash Raj, Anurag Kashyap, Sonakshi Sinha, Kiran Rao and Vir Das.