Raghav Juyal is back in the news once more, only this time it is not due to any movie. During the promotional events of his next release Bhai Tera Star Hai in Jaipur, the actor was suddenly asked by a reporter to explain his stance on the protests by the students regarding the NEET exam question papers leak and actions of the police on the protesting students in Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The media interaction went awry as soon as a reporter asked him as to why he hadn’t talked about the matter. But, Raghav made sure to tell him otherwise.
A tense exchange during Jaipur promotions
This incident happened in Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, where Raghav was promoting Bhai Tera Star Hai alongside other actors from the movie such as Niharika NM and Vikalp Mehta. While he was exiting the location and being surrounded by fans and journalists, one of the reporters asked him about his silence regarding the student protests.
Raghav immediately rejected the claim and responded in Hindi, saying, "Jitni himmat se aap humse sawal puchte hai, utni himmat se unse kijiye jinse sawaal puchne chahiye. Aur maine apne Instagram par daala hua hai, aap woh padh lo. Aur itni himmat, agar aap patrakar wahan dikhate jahan par sawaal puchna chahiya, toh aaj yeh halat nahi hoti (Translation: You should summon the same courage to question those who actually need to be questioned as you do when asking me. I have posted about this on my Instagram; you should read it. If you journalists had shown that kind of courage where questions actually needed to be asked, the situation today would not be like this).”
Although the reporter kept on with his questioning, Raghav stuck to his answers and suggested that the journalists ask tough questions to the powerful people rather than to celebrities. He even shared the video on his Instagram and wrote, “I said what I said.”
{{/usCountry}}Although the reporter kept on with his questioning, Raghav stuck to his answers and suggested that the journalists ask tough questions to the powerful people rather than to celebrities. He even shared the video on his Instagram and wrote, “I said what I said.”
{{/usCountry}}Internet reacts to Raghav's response
The internet was quick to praise Raghav on his stance. Many called him ‘OG Cockroach’. Crockroaxz is the name by which Raghav is known due to the fact that his dancing persona has been derived from the fusion of Crocodile, denoting his strong and impactful dancing styles, and Cockroach, denoting his trippy and creepily flexible style of dance. His friends had suggested this name to him in 2011. He had participated in Dance India Dance with that name and was called the King of Slow Motion dances.
Many comments on the post read, “Jokes on the reporter. RJ gave the most appropriate answer.” Another comment read, “You can't criticise/boycott Raghav Juyal coz at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, when oxygen was one of the hardest things to find, Raghav Juyal stepped up to help. He arranged and supplied cylinders to hospitals and did everything he could to assist people who reached out to him during those difficult times.”
One user said, “People are targetting Raghav for no reason. He didn't insult anyone or support any wrongdoing. He had already expressed support for the students on Instagram. Why keep questioning an actor again and again? If you want answers about government actions, ask the people in power and not just celebrities.”
He had already spoken in support of students
However, the question failed to recognise that Raghav had already endorsed the students' views on the issue through his various Instagram posts, wherein he had posted the original preamble of the Indian Constitution, together with his tribute to Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
His caption read, "The original text of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, adopted on 26th November, 1949. And the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, also known as the Father of the Indian Constitution."
He also shared a quote by freedom fighter Bhagat Singh that read, “Merciless criticism and independent thinking are the two necessary traits of revolutionary thinking.”
The movement and the student protesting topic was being spoken by Raghav since the day climate activist Sonam Wangchuk went on hunger strike on 28th June till his hunger strike got over on 23rd July after discussions with the government.
Why are students protesting?
The protests began over allegations of irregularities and a paper leak in the NEET-UG examination, along with broader concerns about transparency in the country's entrance examination system. Student organisations have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, strict action against those responsible and greater transparency in the examination process.
The demonstrations intensified after reports of a police lathi-charge on protesting students in New Delhi on July 20. Since then, protests have been held in several states, including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
What's next for Raghav?
Raghav Juyal is leading his upcoming movie Bhai Tera Star Hai along with Sanjay Kapoor, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Niharika N, Niki Aneja Walia, Vikalp Mehta, Naser Al Azzeh, Vineeth Beep Kumar, Dev B Agrawal, Barkha Singh, Vivan Bhatena, Tina Desai and Parvathy Omanakuttan.
Directed by Vivek B. Agrawal and written by Sudipto Sarkar, Bhai Tera Star Hai is being produced by Avantika Hari, Sunil Rupani and Vivek B. Agrawal. The film will hit the screens on July 30.
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