Sanam Shetty calls those 'politicising' anti-NEET protest 'jokers', gets booed

CHENNAI: As student protests continue in Chennai against the NEET paper leak and in solidarity with the student agitation in Delhi, actor Sanam Shetty was booed away by protesting students after she called those "politicising" the protests "jokers" and claimed she had joined the protest as a hardcore "Thalapathy Vijay" fan on Friday (July 24). She was at the CPI headquarters, Balan Illam, to support the students.

"I am here to support the students, and everyone who is using this platform to further their political agenda is a joker. I am here after watching the FDFS (first day, first show) of Jana Nayagan," she said, as she began her address.

The protesters asked her to leave

The protesters interrupted her by booing her. "This is not democracy," she said as students continued to boo her. "Every citizen has freedom of speech. This is the agenda I was talking about. I can only talk about students," she said as she was asked to leave by the organisers while the students started chanting "Inquilab Zindabad."

'This is not a democratic protest'

Speaking to reporters, she said, "They snatched away the mic and shooed me away. This is not a democratic protest. This is an agenda-driven protest," she told reporters. "Those who cannot let me speak are fighting for freedom," she charged. "A huge salute to Sonam Wangchuk and to all the students protesting," she said, while calling the protest at the CPI headquarters fake. "Just because I watched the movie of my favourite star, I am not a joker," she added.

"They are setting an agenda. Some placards even said that Chief Minister Vijay is missing. That is not true; he spoke in support of Rahul Gandhi and condemned police brutality," she said, while also saying it is not up to her to know everything about the party she supported. She further supported the government for detaining the students as they protested without permission outside the Secretariat. However, she said any brutality without provocation is condemnable.

Everyone is welcome: Organisers

Later, the organisers clarified at the protest site that the mic was taken away as they requested her to listen to them and understand their point of view. "Everyone is welcome here, including members of the TVK," said one of the organisers. "This is a platform to educate people as well, and everyone is welcome. We did not take the mic away to stop her from talking but to educate her," the organiser said, as seen in a viral clip.