Dhurandhar actress Ayesha Khan has responded strongly to criticism after being detained by Mumbai Police while attempting to join a protest in support of students demonstrating over the alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities, writes News 18.
The actress, who said she had gone to the protest site with her brother and friends to express solidarity with the movement, claimed she was detained before she could even participate in the demonstration.
Sharing videos from the incident on Instagram, Ayesha alleged that police officers forcibly pushed her into a police van without explaining why she was being detained.
“We kept asking inside the van why we had been detained and what mistake we had made. There was no answer, no accountability. From Dadar, they took us to Worli,” she said in one of the videos.
The actress also posted footage showing her being escorted into the police vehicle. In the caption, she wrote that she was “dragged, detained for standing in peace” and questioned why standing on a public road had become a crime.
“I stood for what was right. My stand is clear. We lack accountability, everywhere. I still have hope we will see a better future,” she wrote.
Amid the backlash online, Ayesha also responded to a social media user who warned that supporting the protests could damage her career in Bollywood.
The user messaged her, “No work for you in Bollywood now.”
Sharing a screenshot of the message on her Instagram Stories, Ayesha replied, “I would rather lose my career than lose my spine. Scare someone else, thank you, bye bye.”
The protests, which began in New Delhi over allegations surrounding the NEET-UG examination, have since spread to several cities across India.
Demonstrators are demanding greater transparency in the examination system, accountability over the alleged irregularities, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Mumbai Police have registered multiple cases in connection with the demonstrations and detained several participants during the protests.
