Suresh Oberoi Questions Celebrity Support for CJP Protest, Says Public Figures Should ‘Research’ Before Speaking

THE CELEBRITY HOUR

Veteran actor Suresh Oberoi has questioned the role of film personalities in public protests, arguing that celebrities should understand the people, circumstances and competing claims surrounding an agitation before using their influence to endorse it.

Speaking during a conversation with journalist Nidhi Vasandani, Oberoi discussed the CJP demonstrations held at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and challenged celebrities who publicly supported the movement.

His central argument was about the responsibility that comes with having a large public platform.

“We are responsible people. The world listens to you and follows what you say,” Oberoi said, before arguing that public figures should research an issue and understand who is involved before commenting on it.

His remarks come after several personalities from the entertainment industry expressed support for the CJP movement, which centred on alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and demands for accountability and broader reforms in India's education system.

Suresh Oberoi questions who participated in the protest

Oberoi's criticism was not limited to celebrities.

The actor questioned whether everyone participating in the demonstrations was genuinely connected with the student movement, arguing that a public figure should understand the composition of a protest before strongly endorsing it.

“Are they all NEET students,” he asked, while raising the possibility that political participants and people involved in disturbances could also have been present.

Oberoi said that when he lacks sufficient knowledge about a subject, he would prefer to acknowledge that rather than publicly adopt a strong position.

The distinction matters because his comments were not simply an argument against celebrities expressing political opinions. His stated position was that actors and other influential people should first establish what they know about an issue before speaking to audiences who may take their comments seriously.

Which film personalities supported the CJP movement?

The CJP demonstrations attracted considerable attention from the entertainment industry.

Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj were among the film personalities who visited the protest site, while Sonakshi Sinha, Sonu Sood, Vir Das, Dia Mirza, Soha Ali Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh and Huma Qureshi were among those reported to have publicly expressed support for the movement.

The July 20 march towards Parliament subsequently witnessed clashes between protesters and police.

Oberoi's remarks are therefore part of a broader debate over how celebrities should respond when an issue moves beyond a specific demand and develops into a larger political movement.

Oberoi raises questions about funding — but provides no evidence

One part of Oberoi's comments requires considerably more caution.

During the interview, the actor referred to reports and claims he said he had encountered concerning the funding of protests.

He also suggested that he had read claims about actors receiving money in connection with such activities.

However, Oberoi did not name the actors or provide evidence substantiating that allegation during the conversation.

There is therefore no basis in the material reviewed for this report to present celebrity payments or foreign financing as established facts.

Oberoi's remarks should instead be understood as questions and allegations raised by the actor based on information he says he had encountered.

He also referred to an advisory issued by the US Embassy in New Delhi ahead of the demonstrations.

The embassy had issued a demonstration alert on July 17 advising American citizens about anticipated large gatherings and possible disruption in central Delhi on July 20 and 21, including areas around Jantar Mantar, Parliament House and Kisan Ghat.

An advance security advisory, however, does not by itself establish American or foreign involvement in organising a protest.

‘My job is acting’

Oberoi also drew a clear boundary around his own role as an actor.

He said he would not personally participate in protests and argued that acting remained his professional responsibility.

“My job is acting, so I will act,” Oberoi said while questioning the need for him personally to become an activist.

He was particularly critical of violence during demonstrations and argued that demands should be raised without attacks on police personnel.

Oberoi also referred to environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk, who became one of the prominent figures associated with the CJP agitation after joining the Jantar Mantar demonstration and beginning an indefinite hunger strike.

His comments suggest a broader scepticism towards celebrity activism and protest politics rather than criticism of only one actor or one public statement.

His comments follow a very different political experience of his own

Oberoi's position becomes more interesting when considered alongside his personal political history.

He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004 and actively campaigned for the party during that year's Lok Sabha election. Contemporary reports documented his support for then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani.

Oberoi was subsequently appointed joint convenor of the BJP's Cultural Cell.

In the same recent interview, however, he described becoming disappointed with aspects of political life after initially believing that entering politics would allow him to serve the country.

Despite that experience, Oberoi continues to speak positively about the RSS and its chief Mohan Bhagwat, as well as senior BJP figures including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.

That history makes his present argument somewhat more specific: Oberoi is not speaking as someone who has always avoided politics. He briefly participated in party politics himself before ultimately returning his focus to acting.

The Celebrity Hour Take

There are two separate issues in Oberoi's remarks, and combining them would obscure an important distinction.

His argument that celebrities should research an issue before endorsing it is an opinion about the responsibilities attached to influence. Actors are free to participate in public debate, just as Oberoi is free to question those interventions. Audiences can judge the strength of either position.

His suggestions about funding require a different standard. Claims involving secret payments, foreign involvement or actors receiving money are factual allegations capable of verification; they cannot acquire credibility simply because a public figure repeats them. Without evidence or identified individuals, they should remain clearly labelled as unsubstantiated claims rather than becoming part of the factual account of the CJP protests.

That distinction between political opinion and factual allegation is particularly important when celebrities on either side of a contentious issue speak to audiences considerably larger than those available to most ordinary participants.