Raveena Tandon: Student protests hijacked by hooligans and political parties
Synopsis
Raveena Tandon praised Mizoram’s student protests as a national model while calling out political hijacking of demonstrations elsewhere — her comments arriving just a day after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned under sustained youth-led pressure. It is a rare moment of Bollywood opinion landing in the middle of a live political story.
Key Takeaways
Raveena Tandon posted on Instagram on 26 July praising peaceful student protests and condemning their hijacking by hooligans and political parties.
She specifically lauded Mizoram student protesters for setting an example of dignified, peaceful dissent.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on 25 July following weeks of youth-led protests at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi .
The protests, driven by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) , raised concerns over alleged examination paper leaks and testing irregularities.
Tandon attributed violence during some protests to “non-students” and “unruly elements,” not the student movement itself.
Actress Raveena Tandon has said that peaceful student movements in several states were hijacked by “hooligans, political parties, and people looking for opportunities to gain limelight,” while praising Mizoram’s student protests as a model of dignified dissent. The actress shared her views in a post on Instagram, connecting the demonstrations to a broader awakening around environmental and systemic issues.
Raveena’s Stand on the Protests
In her post, Tandon lauded the student-led demonstrations and expressed hope that meaningful change was within reach. She drew a line between peaceful protests and the violence that disrupted some of them, attributing the latter to “unruly elements” who were not students.
She wrote: “Happy and Proud that voices are finally being heard, #studentsprotest #Rishikeshprotest, and there is hope. Till now environmental/community animals/wildlife/deforestation protests were reaching dead ends and losing battles. People are awakening and the future generations have to realise that this is the only planet we have. There is no Planet B.”
Tandon added: “The peaceful protests in Mizoram and other states have led by example. Salute to Them. Unfortunately, some states the peaceful student movement was hijacked by hooligans, political parties and some there just for opportunities to make reels and get some limelight. Ultimately, it was a Victory for the rightful demands.”
Mizoram Students Set the Tone
Hundreds of students in Mizoram gathered during a CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) protest and sang “Give Me Some Sunshine” in a widely noted display of unity. Tandon specifically cited this as the kind of peaceful, purposeful demonstration she believes sets the right example for student movements across the country.
Backdrop: Education Minister’s Resignation and CJP Protests
The protests gained national attention after weeks of youth-led demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, organised by the social-media-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The movement raised concerns over alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities in the testing system. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down on 25 July following the sustained pressure from protesters.
Tandon connected the student unrest to earlier environmental and wildlife campaigns, arguing that public awareness around issues affecting future generations is growing. She also called for an end to corruption in state-run schools and easier access to education for all.
On Violence and Public Property Damage
While affirming the legitimacy of the protests’ demands, Tandon was unequivocal about the violence that accompanied some demonstrations. “The violence and damaging public property was definitely unruly elements at work. Those non-students could’ve derailed this protest,” she wrote, drawing a clear distinction between genuine student demonstrators and those who, in her view, exploited the movement.
She ended her post with a note on free speech: “Practising my Freedom Of Speech. Your opinion could be different, but I respect that too. Jab padhega India, Badhega India. Jai Hind.” With the Education Minister’s resignation marking a significant concession to protesters, attention now turns to whether systemic reforms in India’s examination framework will follow.
Point of View
It reflects how the CJP movement has forced mainstream voices to take sides. Her distinction between peaceful protesters and ‘unruly elements’ mirrors a familiar political framing that risks letting institutions off the hook: the examination irregularities that sparked the protests remain unresolved regardless of who threw stones. The Mizoram praise is well-placed, but the broader accountability question — why paper leaks happened and who is responsible — goes unaddressed in her post, as it does in much of the celebrity commentary that followed.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Raveena Tandon say about the student protests?
Raveena Tandon said that while peaceful student protests in states like Mizoram set a commendable example, the movement in some states was hijacked by hooligans, political parties, and people seeking social media attention. She praised the protests’ core demands and called for reform in India’s education system.
Why did Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign?
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on 25 July following sustained youth-led protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The demonstrations centred on alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities in India’s testing system.
What is the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)?
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is a social-media-driven protest movement that organised demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over alleged examination paper leaks and irregularities. Hundreds of students in Mizoram also participated in CJP protests, singing ‘Give Me Some Sunshine’ in a widely noted show of unity.
What did Raveena Tandon say about the violence during protests?
Tandon attributed the violence and damage to public property to ‘unruly elements’ and non-students who, she argued, could have derailed the legitimate student movement. She drew a clear distinction between genuine protesters and those she described as opportunists.
What reforms did Raveena Tandon call for?
Tandon called for eradicating corruption in state-run schools and ensuring easy access to education for all Indians. She also connected the student protests to broader environmental and wildlife movements, framing them as part of a growing public awakening.
