Bollywood actor Salman Khan praised students protesting a medical exam paper leak in New Delhi, calling the demonstrators "courageous and brave" [1].
The intervention by one of India's most prominent celebrities brings significant public attention to systemic failures in the examination process and the vulnerability of student movements to political appropriation.
Khan shared his support via an Instagram post on Wednesday, July 23, 2026 [2]. The actor addressed the ongoing demonstrations in New Delhi, where students associated with the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have gathered to protest the leak of medical examination papers [3].
Khan said the paper leak is a "very serious issue" [4]. He said that the integrity of education is at stake and that such leaks undermine the efforts of students across the country.
While supporting the cause, the 60-year-old actor [5] issued a warning regarding the nature of the protests. Khan said the movement should not be hijacked politically [6]. He said that the focus should remain on the educational crisis rather than becoming a tool for political parties to gain leverage.
Khan expressed optimism about the youth of India in his message. He said the current generation is "driven and motivated towards education" and that they will make India proud [7].
The protests in New Delhi have highlighted growing frustration among medical aspirants regarding the transparency and security of national exams. By aligning himself with the students, Khan has positioned the issue as a matter of national educational integrity rather than a partisan conflict [3].
“"So courageous and brave"”
The involvement of a high-profile figure like Salman Khan elevates a localized student protest into a national conversation about educational governance. By explicitly warning against 'political hijacking,' Khan is attempting to decouple the students' legitimate grievances from the opportunistic interests of political entities, potentially shielding the movement from being dismissed as mere partisan theater.
