Bollywood actors Vijay Varma and Huma Qureshi have joined public discourse by voicing support for protests organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The demonstrations demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Vijay Varma’s Satirical Take
Actor Vijay Varma took to Instagram to share a satirical post targeting the Chief Election Commissioner. Referencing Steven Spielberg’s classic war film Saving Private Ryan, Varma posted a mock poster titled “Saving Private Gyan” featuring Gyanesh Kumar with the sarcastic tagline, “The face of free and fair election”. He captioned the post, “Happy to see the forces joining together to save our national hero. Protect him at ANY cost”.
Huma Qureshi Speaks Out on Peaceful Dissent
Huma Qureshi issued a strong statement addressing the police crackdown and the detention of demonstrators during the capital’s protests. Emphasizing democratic principles, Qureshi stated that the right to peaceful protest is a foundational freedom rather than a state-granted favor.
”Peaceful dissent is not a crime. Asking questions is not a crime. Demanding accountability is not a crime. A democracy must allow its citizens to raise their voices without fear of intimidation or harassment,” Qureshi noted, acknowledging potential professional scrutiny or personal backlash for speaking out.
Context of the Protests
The demonstrations, which saw heavy security deployments and detentions of leaders like Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das in Delhi alongside other student figures, center on demands for accountability in electoral transparency. While detained leaders and protesters were subsequently released, the growing movement continues to draw strong reactions from artists, public figures, and political entities across the nation.