New Delhi: Veteran actor Shabana Azmi joined the Cockroach Janta Party’s “Chalo Sansad” march from Jantar Mantar on Monday. She backed the protesters demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination paper leaks and alleged failures in the conduct of competitive examinations.
Speaking to reporters at the march, Azmi said she and her husband, lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to speak to the protesters.
“We received an acknowledgement saying we would get a reply in two days, but we never heard back,” she said. “That is why I am here today.”
Asked why more members of the film industry had not joined the demonstration, Azmi questioned why Bollywood was being singled out.
“Why are you only asking about Bollywood? Why aren’t you asking where the industrialists are or where the business leaders are?” she said.
Azmi was joined at the march by actors Prakash Raj and Swara Bhasker, and comedian Kunal Kamra. Several other film personalities, including Zeenat Aman, Sonakshi Sinha, Dia Mirza, Omi Vaidya and Punjabi singer Kaka, have also publicly backed Sonam Wangchuk and the protesters at Jantar Mantar.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)