Eight BJP Yuva Morcha workers protest outside Tovino’ home over his support for Delhi protests

Eight BJP Yuva Morcha workers staged a protest outside Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas' residence in Irinjalakuda on Wednesday (July 22), objecting to his public support for the student-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest in Delhi. The demonstration drew attention as much for its small turnout as for its message.Holding placards, the youth wing members accused Tovino of selectively supporting protests. One placard questioned why the actor had not expressed solidarity with demonstrators who had protested outside the Kerala Secretariat over issues related to the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC).The protest came days after Tovino shared a strongly worded social media post condemning the police action against students participating in the CJP protest in Delhi."Right and wrong may be relative, but this is certainly not the way to handle a peaceful protest," Tovino wrote. Questioning the police action, he asked, "What did these students do wrong? Did they destroy property? Did they resort to violence? What exactly did they do to deserve this treatment?"Expressing solidarity with peaceful protesters, the actor added, "To every person protesting for a just cause, peacefully, in any part of our country, I extend my wholehearted solidarity. The right to dissent is not a threat to democracy; in fact, it is one of its foundations." Anticipating criticism over his stand, Tovino concluded: "My politics is humanity. My belief is peace. Jai Hind."CJP, a student-led movement that emerged earlier this year, has been spearheading protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak, and broader concerns such as youth unemployment and accountability in public institutions. Its "Sansad Chalo" march in New Delhi on July 20 called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and reforms to the examination system.The march culminated in clashes after protesters attempted to move towards Parliament, with police using barricades, lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the crowd. The CJP accused the Delhi Police of using excessive force and alleged brutality against protesters, with allegations of pellet guns and shock batons being used against the protestors. However, the police have denied these allegations, claiming that demonstrators turned violent, attacked personnel, damaged public property and violated prohibitory orders.