Salman Khan has voiced support for students protesting over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, saying he is saddened that what began as a peaceful movement turned violent, states News 18.
In a note shared on Instagram, the actor called the alleged paper leak “a very serious issue” and urged that the movement remain focused on students rather than politics.
“It was such a peaceful movement, I felt so sad that it had to take a violent turn. My heart goes out to the students and their families who were hurt. Paper leak is a very serious issue,” Salman wrote.
He praised students for coming together to demand a fairer education system and said their determination was inspiring.
Salman’s statement comes as thousands of students continue protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak, reforms to the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The actor also appealed to political parties not to take over the movement.
“This issue is between the students and the educational system. It should not be hijacked politically. The credit should only go to the students of our country,” he wrote.
Expressing optimism, Salman said he believed the government would work towards improving the education system and hoped the protests would lead to positive change.
The nationwide agitation began after the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 question paper, which reportedly affected nearly two million aspirants.
What started as protests over the alleged examination irregularities has since evolved into a broader movement demanding transparency, accountability and long-term reforms.
Salman’s remarks add to a growing list of film personalities who have publicly backed the students.
Thalapathy Vijay, Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, Soha Ali Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Huma Qureshi, Bhumi Pednekar, Rohit Saraf, Nandita Das, Naseeruddin Shah, Amol Parashar and filmmaker Kiran Rao have also expressed solidarity or called for dialogue and reforms.
Meanwhile, education reformer Sonam Wangchuk remains on an indefinite hunger strike from Safdarjung Hospital after being shifted there when his health deteriorated.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has also begun an indefinite fast at the protest site, vowing to continue the agitation until the students’ demands are addressed.
