Activists and celebrities came together in solidarity with the ongoing student protests in New Delhi, triggered by the NEET question paper leak, as a series of demonstrations were held in Kochi on Wednesday. Protest meetings were organised at Maharaja’s College, Panampilly Nagar and Kacheripady by different groups in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party-led agitation in Delhi.

Addressing a protest meeting at Maharaja’s College, organised by the college union under the banner “In Solidarity with the Youth of the Nation,” writer N.S. Madhavan said he was deeply concerned over the alleged involvement of masked civilians supporting the Central government in assaulting student protesters in Delhi.

Students and activists gather at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, in solidarity with the student protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
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R.K. Nithin

“It reminded me of how the Brownshirts, who wanted Hitler to remain in power, joined the police in assaulting protesters on the streets of Germany around 100 years ago. Going by the lessons of history, the scenes from Delhi do not bode well for the country,” Mr. Madhavan said.

He, however, expressed hope that the government would not be able to suppress the protests.

Actor-filmmaker Joju George likened the situation in Delhi to the Emergency.

“I consider the leak, or the collapse of a country’s education system, to be a form of slow poisoning. The students who protested against it are being beaten, and opposition leaders are being dragged away,” he said.

Calling for wider support for the agitation, filmmaker Ashique Abu said the children who were beaten on the streets are the ones who give the country hope. He announced that the student community would organise a march from the college to the BSNL office in Kochi on Thursday.

Actor Ranjini Haridas speaks at a solidarity event in Kochi on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
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PTI

Lawyer Harish Vasudevan criticised what he described as the judiciary’s reluctance to intervene against alleged police excesses against student protesters.

Rapper Vedan, singer Aloshy and former India international footballer C.K. Vineeth attend a solidarity protest in support of students protesting at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, in Kochi on Wednesday.
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THULASI KAKKAT

TV anchor Ranjini Haridas, who recently attended the CJP protest in Delhi, recounted her experience.

“Going by what I saw, I seriously doubted whether we are still a democracy,” she said.

Writer K.R. Meera, CPI(M) Ernakulam district secretary S. Sathish, filmmakers Mahesh Narayanan, Manu Ashok and Seenu Sohanlal, LGBTQI activist Sheetal Shyam, actors Gowri Kishan and Jolly Chirayathu, and singer Resmi Sateesh were among those who attended the solidarity meeting.

Rapper Vedan, meanwhile, addressed a solidarity meeting at Panampilly Nagar. Activists K.P. Sankaran and Sreemoolanagaram Mohan staged a satyagraha at Gandhi Square, Kacheripady, as the State committee of the Indian Socialist@100 collective organised another solidarity meeting.

The ASTRA Students’ Union of Government Medical College, Ernakulam, organised a solidarity protest on the campus. The protesters emphasised that students’ concerns should be addressed through dialogue, transparency and accountability.

A public meeting was also held at Gandhi Square in Poonithura condemning the police action against the student protests in Delhi. Kochi Corporation Councillor V.P. Chandran chaired the meeting, which was addressed by student activist Athul Krishna.

Late on Tuesday night, around 100 people, mostly youngsters, gathered at Queen’s Walkway in Kochi in solidarity with the ongoing protests in Delhi. Clad in black, they participated in a candlelight vigil following a call issued through an Instagram handle named Azadi Kerala.

The participants raised slogans and held placards bearing strongly worded anti-government messages. Political leaders were absent from the protest. One of the placards read: “You messed with the wrong generation.”

Published - July 23, 2026 12:46 am IST