Stars support protest

Bollywood stars have voiced their support for protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Sonakshi Sinha shared an image of the Preamble to the Constitution, highlighting the words “Democratic Republic”. She wrote in the caption, “WE the people... Never forget! JAI HIND.”

Actor Vijay Varma shared a photo of the Chief Election Commissioner with the words, “The face of free and fair election.” Another tagline read, “Saving private gyan”, a reference to the Hollywood classic Saving Private Ryan. Vijay wrote, “Happy to the see the forces joining together to save our national hero. Protect him at ANY cost.”

Huma Qureshi expressed her displeasure at the detention of protesters. She wrote, “We are the world’s largest democracy. The right to peaceful protest and the demand for accountability are fundamental democratic rights, not favours granted by those in power. 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.” Dia Mirza wrote, “The Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful expression of dissent.”