‘Sonam, it’s done bro, will send food from home’: Salman Khan tells Wangchuk to end fast, asks NEET protesters to go home

After extending his support to students protesting against the NEET paper leak, Salman Khan has shared another post on social media. This time, the actor urged the protesting students to return home and appealed to activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike. This came in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent assurance that strict action would be taken against those responsible for the NEET paper leak. Salman requested the students to trust the process and conclude their protest.

Salman Khan wrote, “The students are at top priority, educationally n security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honorable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So students, plz go back to your parents n homes. Sonam, it’s done, bro. Don’t extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there be a need, which I doubt, n eat something. If u want, will send u food from home.”

Earlier, Salman had voiced his support for the students protesting against the alleged NEET paper leak, calling it a “peaceful movement” and expressing sadness over the violence that followed. Praising the students for standing up for a better education system, he wrote that they had shown “dedication, sincerity, and keenness to study hard” and described them as “so courageous and brave.”

The actor also urged that the protest should not be “hijacked politically,” expressing hope that the government would support the students and ensure a stronger, more transparent education system. Salman added, “Education should be the next trend and fashion.”

After Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt also came out in support of the CJP-led student protest in Delhi. She voiced her opinion after students allegedly faced a lathi-charge during their protest march on Monday.

Taking to Instagram, Alia shared a heartfelt note in support of the students. It read, “The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope. Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family’s hope, a journey of countless sacrifices. They represent not just themselves but everyone who has supported them, while creating a better path for those who will come after them.”

Praising the students for their courage and determination, Alia further wrote, “Their courage humbles me. Their resolve is a mirror held up to all of us, asking whether we are truly listening to the very people who will inherit and shape this country’s tomorrow. For the students. By the students. The future is theirs. Jai Hind.”

Actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan, and Twinkle Khanna have also joined the growing list of celebrities speaking out in support of the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led student protests over the NEET paper leak. Through social media posts, the actors voiced solidarity with the students, urging authorities to listen to their concerns and ensure a fair, transparent, and accountable education system.

Kareena Kapoor: ‘The voices of young people are impossible to ignore’

Kareena took to Instagram to share a heartfelt note in support of the students, saying she had been thinking about the issue for days before speaking out.

“I’ve sat with this for a few days, but I can’t sit with it any longer. The voices of so many young people asking to be heard are impossible to ignore… and they shouldn’t be. We all know what education means to a child. It gives them confidence. It gives them hope. It gives families proof that tomorrow can be better than today. But education only works if children believe in it. And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work, and merit don’t actually count.”

She went on to stress that students deserve an education system built on fairness and trust.

“No child should have to wonder if their effort will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, effort is rewarded, and every child starts on equal footing. That isn’t a lot to ask. It’s the bare minimum. When an entire generation speaks with one voice about its own future, listening isn’t a courtesy we extend. It’s an obligation we owe them. Our children are watching us as closely as we watch them. How we respond now—not eventually, now—will tell them everything about whether fairness and trust are real, or just words adults use. They are not preparing for tomorrow. They are tomorrow.”

Varun Dhawan urges authorities to engage with students

Varun Dhawan also extended his support through Instagram, describing students as the country’s future and calling for a transparent resolution to their concerns.

“Students are the future of our country. When a student’s dream is crushed, it’s not just one dream that’s lost; it’s the dream of an entire family. They have every right to ask questions when they feel the system has failed them. Their voices deserve to be heard, protected, and addressed with sincerity. I appeal to the authorities to engage with these concerns and work towards a fair, transparent, and meaningful resolution that ensures accountability.”

He also urged that the movement should remain focused on students and their demands.

“I also sincerely hope this remains a students’ protest. The focus must remain on the issues affecting the students and the solutions they deserve. Peaceful protest is a democratic right, and every student should be allowed to exercise it.”

Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday and Twinkle Khanna also speak out

Sara Ali Khan described the students’ movement as a reminder of the true spirit of patriotism. In her Instagram note, she wrote, “Our students are our future and their future tugs at the very heart of our nation. Their resolve burns like a quiet, unquenchable flame that brings tears to my eyes, reminding us that true patriotism beats in the brave hearts of those who dare to stand up for what they believe in.”

She added, “We must listen to them with open hearts, care deeply, and walk beside them. Their dreams are woven into ours. Our dreams live in theirs. As an optimistic patriot, I have immense faith that our government will deliver justice. Jai Hind.”

Ananya Panday also praised Gen Z for refusing to stay silent, writing, “Gen Z has always been labelled… not all of them have been kind. But maybe this moment is reminding us who this generation really is. A generation that’s no longer willing to accept, ‘this is how it’s always been.’ They’re not asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for fairness to be the bare minimum, not the exception. Questioning isn’t disrespect. Speaking up isn’t rebellion. It’s hope. It’s belief that things can be better. And that’s how change begins.”

Meanwhile, author and former actor Twinkle Khanna shared photographs from the protests in Delhi and Mumbai, including images of demonstrators confronting police action. Alongside the pictures, she wrote, “Proud to belong to a country where our young people still have the courage to dissent, to push back, to brave tear gas and batons. The sad part is that they have to.”

The CJP-led protests have been underway for over a month, with students alleging large-scale irregularities in the examination system, particularly the NEET paper leak. The movement is also demanding accountability from the government and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Social activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation and began a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in support of the students.

The protests escalated earlier this week after thousands of students and supporters marched towards Parliament as part of the CJP’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ call. Delhi Police said protesters displayed “unruly, aggressive, and violent behaviour” and refused to disperse despite repeated warnings.

The protesters, however, alleged that police used excessive force, claiming they were lathi-charged indiscriminately. Videos shared on social media appeared to show police using batons and tear gas to disperse demonstrators, while protesters also alleged that some people in civilian clothes assaulted them during the clashes.