Actor and Bigg Boss Tamil fame Sanam Shetty has come under fire for her remarks about Chief Minister Vijay's latest film, Jana Nayagan, while addressing the ongoing NEET-UG protests in Chennai.
Over the past few days, several celebrities, including director Pa Ranjith, rapper-singer Arivu, and filmmaker Vetri Maaran, have visited Balan Illam, the CPI State Office in Chennai, to express solidarity with the students protesting in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak. They also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Sanam Shetty, who participated in the protest on Friday, voiced her support for the students but criticised what she described as people using the platform to further their own political agendas.
"Those who are using the stage for their own political agenda are the real jokers," she said. Her remarks appeared to reference the criticism directed at Vijay for largely remaining silent on the ongoing protests.
The mention of Vijay and Jana Nayagan was met with immediate backlash from sections of the crowd, who began booing her and expressing their displeasure. In videos circulating on social media, a few volunteers can also be seen taking the microphone away from her as she attempted to continue speaking. She then said, "This is not democracy. Every citizen has freedom of speech. Now, do you understand what 'agendas' I am talking about? I will speak only for the students and genuine protests held for their rights. I will only speak my own views. Nobody has pushed me to share their agendas." After a brief scuffle, the mic was taken away from her.
Clips of the incident have since gone viral, with many social media users criticising Sanam for bringing up Jana Nayagan during a protest centred on students' concerns.
After leaving the venue, Sanam Shetty addressed the media, expressing her anger over the incident and questioning whether she was expected to speak only what others wanted to hear. "I want to share my side of the story. This is a pro-students protest, and I was invited to speak in support of the students. Am I a joker for watching one film on one day? Vetri Maaran is also at the venue. He has made many films. Will you call him a joker?" she asked.
Questioning the treatment she received, Sanam further said, "They claim they are protesting for democracy. Is snatching away the microphone part of democracy? I am here representing the public. I will not support those who use this stage for their own political agendas. They chased me away. From this, you can clearly see that they are not protesting for democracy. Don't fall into this trap."
Her remarks have since sparked widespread debate on social media, with opinions divided over both her comments and the protesters' reaction.
