Veteran actor Shabana Azmi joined the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday, July 20, extending support to the ongoing protest over the NEET paper leak controversy. A day earlier, he had arrived at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to stand with students to demand the Union Education Minister’s resignation. Dharmendra Pradhan.The march is being led by CJP leader and activist Abhijeet Dipke Sonam WangchukGitanjali’s wife Angmo, while Wangchuk remains on an indefinite hunger strike at Safdarjung Hospital after being forcibly removed from the protest site by the Delhi Police on Saturday.Several film personalities have also expressed their solidarity with the movement and called for the demonstrations to continue peacefully.Azmi, 75, walked alongside students and fellow protesters as they made their way to Parliament. Addressing PTI, he said, “We are here to hold a peaceful protest. This is a right guaranteed by our Constitution. Mahatma Gandhi he taught us the path of non-violence. We have no intention of resorting to violence.”The veteran actor also appealed to the media to focus on the core issues rather than the presence or absence of celebrities at the protest. “You are only concerned about the fact that Bollywood celebrities are not present at the March. You are not concerned about the absence of industrialists, of all businessmen. When you ask these questions, you are leaving the cause aside and generating unnecessary controversy. You need to support those who are marching for this cause, instead of diluting the issue,” he told the media.Speaking to Red Mike, Azmi revealed that both she and her husband are writers Javed Akhtarhe had written to the prime minister Narendra Modiasking the government to start a dialogue with the protesters. “Maine jo hai, Pradhan Mantri ko khat likha. Javed saab ne khat likha ki dekhiye aap sirf ek dialogue initiate kariye, press ke paas hum nahi ja rahe. Hum isko ek public matter nahi banayenge, hum sirf Rajya Sabha ke ex-sansad hain, toh hum uss toh rahe su hainni ba seat. Pehle toh hume acknowledgment aaya ki 2 din main aapko jawab milega, 2 din main nahi aaya, 3 din main nahi aaya, 4 din main nahi aaya toh phir paanchwe din hum yahan aa gaye (I wrote a letter to the prime minister. Javed Saab also wrote a letter saying, “Please start a dialogue. We will not go to the press. We will not make this a public issue. As a former member of the Rajya Sabha, I am making this request in that capacity. At least hear us out. At first, we got a notice saying we would get a response within two days. But there was no answer in two days, nor in three, nor in four. So, on the fifth day, we came ourselves).Actors Kavita Kaushik, best known for her role as Chandramukhi Chautala in FIR, and Chak De! Indian actor Vidya Malavade also expressed her support for the students and appealed to the authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations.Sharing a video on Instagram, Kavita addressed the Delhi Police with an emotional message. She said, “Delhi Police, I want to make a request to you. You all have families too – parents, children, siblings and relatives. God forbid, if they ever face a medical emergency, you would want them to be treated by a genuine and competent doctor and not a fake one. That’s why these students are protesting. So, whatever happens, don’t raise my children’s hand or my country’s hand. Don’t hurt them. That’s all I have to say. Do not display your power before them.”Vidya Malavade also took to Instagram to express her concern over the situation. “It is disconcerting to see what is happening in our country right now. The way Sonam Wangchuk ji has been treated is not only frustrating but also very appalling. But the dignity and grace that Ms. Gitanjali is showing is the very foundation on which this great country is built,” he wrote.He further added, “Isn’t it the birthright of every citizen to protest peacefully against injustices? It is unfathomable to understand how these young students have been driven to take their own lives. These students deserve dialogue and justice, and I stand with them. Chak De India!”