20 July,2026 10:58 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Huma Qureshi, Bhumi Pednekkar, Anurag Kashyap. Pics via Instgaram, X
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) held the Sansad Chalo march towards the Parilament House in New Delhi on Monday, July 20. However, the protests turned tense after clashes broke out between protesters and security personnel. Similarly, detentions also took place at the Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai, where protests were taking place. As visuals of the conflicts surfaced on social media, several celebrities, including Huma Qureshi, Anurag Kashyap, Bhumi Pednekar, and others, condemned the violence.
Celebrities called for peace, accountability, and the safeguarding of democratic freedom, while expressing solidarity with those affected by the unrest.
Bhumi Pednekar shared a detailed statement on Instagram opposing the violence. She said that although she does not agree with everything said during the protest, she emphasised that violence is "not the answer," and that the country owes it to its youth, adding that democracies are built on dialogue.
Huma Qureshi also criticised the violence by sharing an emotional note on Instagram. She wrote, "The visuals from today will stay with me for a very long time. Seeing peaceful protesters being met with such brute force and lathis left me with a deep sense of sadness. This surely could have been handled with more patience, more listening, and more dialogue. We, the people of India elected this government and today, we all need to ask questions and expect accountability. We are a huge diverse nation ... we don't all have to agree on every issue, but surely we can agree that every citizen deserves to be heard with dignity before force becomes the response. Respect to every student and every citizen who chose to stand peacefully for what they believe in. Jai Hind."
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also reacted to the police action by posting a strongly worded note on his Instagram Stories. His mote in Hindi read, "Wardi pehenne ke liye aatma ka, aatmiyata ka, sabka sauda karna padta hai. Maloom nahin tha. Kya ek police wala hai is desh mein jo khada ho ke bol sake main iss aadesh ka palan nahin karoonga kyunki ye galat hai.(I didn't know that wearing the uniform meant having to bargain away your conscience, your humanity, everything. Is there even a single police officer in this country who can stand up and say, 'I will not carry out this order because it is wrong'?)"
Similarly, Sonam Bajwa and Parvathy Thiruvothu also spoke against the violence. Sonam called for fairness, transparency, and respectful dialogue, extending hope that students' concerns would be heard and addressed. while Parvathy described the circulating visuals of violence as "extremely upsetting," calling for a more humane response.
The police reportedly resorted to a lathi charge and fired tear gas shells at the protestors after they allegedly tried to breach barricades, leading to injuries and detentions. According to PTI, more than 50 police personnel and over 50 protesters were injured after clashes broke out in New Delhi on Monday.
The Delhi Police detained more than 100 protesters from several locations across New Delhi, including Parliament Street, Patel Chowk, Constitution Club, Shastri Bhawan and nearby areas. Similarly, several demonstrators were detained in Mumbai.
