A day after he was criticised by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students, actor and chairman of the institute, R Madhavan, has broken his silence on the NEET paper leak, expressing solidarity with students for the ongoing protests in Delhi.

He expressed solidarity with the students protesting as part of the demonstration called by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi seeking accountability for paper leaks.

In a statement shared via his Instagram account, he said examination paper leaks undermine trust in the education system and deeply affect the aspirations of students and their families. Calling for accountability, he urged the government to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice swiftly and that strict action is taken to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Madhavan also expressed confidence that the government would take corrective measures to strengthen the examination system and safeguard its integrity. While applauding students peacefully demanding meaningful reforms, he urged them to remain vigilant against vested interests that could attempt to hijack the movement and divert it from its original purpose.

Meanwhile, in other related incidents, the police detained around 200 people after a protest by 700–800 demonstrators in Mumbai’s Chembur on Wednesday. During the operation, a man allegedly opened the latch of a police van, allowing several detained student protesters to escape, according to a viral video circulating on social media.

In Delhi, ACP Vivek Bhagat was injured in a stone-pelting incident near Jantar Mantar on Wednesday night. According to RML Hospital, he suffered a head injury, multiple bruises, swelling at the back of his head, and had a history of ear bleeding and vomiting.

Also read: Private school associations seek Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, support Delhi protesters