Silent No More: Celebrities React To CAA Protests, Extend Support To Students

After the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was officially passed by the Rajya Sabha last week, making it the Citizenship Amendment Act, massive protests have broken out all over the country. Citizens are calling the act ‘unconstitutional’, owing to the fact that it is discriminatory towards Muslims, and discrimination on the basis of religion is strictly against what our constitution stands for.

As people from all walks of life began to express their views on the ongoing protests, many citizens started calling out the Bollywood celebrities to clarify their stance on the issue, because they feel that people in the public sphere should take on the responsibility of speaking up about important issues.

Bollywood Reacts To The CAA

While Bollywood was late to respond, several actors did finally break their silence. Here are all the reactions, from the angry to the politically correct to the plain absurd.

Anurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap has never been the kind of public figure who would resort to political correctness. He has always been unabashedly honest, and that is how he has also reacted to the new act. Not only has Anurag posted his strong disagreement towards the act, he is also actively sharing updates about protests, and is encouraging fellow celebrities to speak up.

Twitter

Richa Chadha

Richa Chadha is known for being outspoken. She has been very active on Twitter and is spreading awareness about the Act and why she is against it. While she supported the protests, she also urged people to maintain peace in the country.

Twitter

Farhan Akhtar

While the Bollywood actor and director has not been too vocal about the issue, he shared a tweet explaining the Act and why people are protesting against it. He also said, ” See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over.”

Kalki Koechlin

The actor and activist took to Instagram to share information on the CAA and why it is unconstitutional.

Dia Mirza

Actor and activist Dia Mirza, who is the United Nations Environment Programme goodwill ambassador for India, has been very active in voicing her opinion against the Act. In one of her tweets, she quoted the constitution of India to make her point.

Alia Bhatt

You know a movement is serious when actors like Alia Bhatt, who usually try to be politically correct, comment on the issue. Alia didn’t say much, she just shared two Instagram stories on the Act. First, she posted a picture of the Indian constitution, reminding citizens what it stands for, and in the next story, she just wrote ‘Learn from the students’. Simple, yet powerful.

Instagram

Vicky Kaushal

Alia’s Raazi co-star Vicky Kaushal also spoke his mind condemning the act. He said that “what is happening is not okay” and added that “our faith in democracy be shaken.” 

Twitter

Pulkit Samrat

TV actor Pulkit Samrat had strong opinions on the bill, and he did NOT sugarcoat his words. In fact, his tweet soon started trending.

Twitter

Vikrant Massey

Actor Vikrant Massey also spoke up, and extended his support to the students of Jamia Millia Islamia.

Ayushmann Khurrana

While the actor did voice his opinion, he kept it vague by saying he was “deeply disturbed by what the students went through” and that he condemns “this”, but then also said “have faith in democracy”. If you are confused by his statement, you’re not alone.

Akshay Kumar

One actor that has been getting a lot of flak for his views is Akshay Kumar, who allegedly ‘accidentally’ liked a tweet about a Jamia protest, and then clarified that it was a mistake, that he had unliked it and said: “in no way do I support such acts”. Several celebrities, including Anurag Kashyap, called him out, deeming him ‘spineless’.

Twitter

For once, a lot of celebrities have taken a stance on an important issue, without trying to be ‘apolitical’. We definitely welcome the change, although we’re still waiting for some prominent celebs to voice their opinions.

Featured Image: The Week

We’re closing the decade with #POPxoLucky2020, a whole season of exciting surprises every day! Also, don’t miss the new POPxo Zodiac Collection with notebooks, phone covers and magic mugs that’re fun, fab and 100% you! Psst… there’s an additional 20% off too, so head to POPxo.com/shopzodiac and take it up a POP!