Thiruvananthapuram : Malayalam superstar Mammootty on Thursday extended his support to the students protesting in Delhi against the alleged irregularities in the NEET and various other exams conducted at the national level.
In a Facebook post, the actor said, “The youth are the treasure of our nation. Listen to their voices. Protect them. Empower them.”
While his post received over 25,000 likes, it also got over 2,000 comments in the one hour after it was made.
Several of the comments criticised the delay in his response, accusing him of waiting for the national award before saying anything, while many others opposed the stand taken by him.
At the same time, many of the comments welcomed his stand.
The superstar is not the only one who has received criticism for supporting the students’ agitation in Delhi.
Megastar Mohanlal’s daughter Vismaya, actor Tovino Thomas and popular anchor Ranjini Haridas also faced social media attacks for their stand supporting the agitation.
The controversy has escalated beyond virtual space, triggering physical demonstrations as well. BJP Yuva Morcha workers staged a protest outside Tovino Thomas’s residence in Irinjalakuda, accusing him of selective outrage and questioning his silence on local issues like the Kerala PSC rank holders’ agitation.
Despite the mounting cyberattacks, calls for film boycotts, and political backlash targeting several prominent figures, an increasing number of Malayalam film industry personalities—including Dulquer Salmaan, Parvathy Thiruvothu, and Asif Ali—have continued to voice their support for the students, arguing that peaceful dissent and the right to be heard are fundamental to a democracy.
