4 min readMapusaJul 25, 2026 06:45 AM IST
Among hundreds of protesters raising slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad” at the Lohia Maidan in Goa’s Mapusa on Friday was Bollywood actor Abhishek Banerjee.
The actor, famed for his roles in films like ‘Stree’ and ‘Stolen’ and the acclaimed television series ‘Paatal Lok’, said he had come to the protest to express solidarity with the protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
“Yesterday when I told people that I am going to Goa to protest, they were quite surprised that how come Goans are protesting. Goa is such a … how do you put it … a laidback place. But that’s the kind of angst and anger I think the youth has. And it is not limited to Jantar Mantar [in] Delhi, it has spread across the country and rightly so. What kind of arrogant government will not listen to their kids? These are the future of our country,” the actor told media persons at the protest site.
Banerjee appealed to the people to “come out of their homes” and support the protests. “I think every one of us needs to come out of our homes. And start supporting. Leave your jobs, leave your work…I think this is not the time to think about your career, because if we don’t stand up right now, our future is going to be destroyed,” he said.
Hundreds of protestors gathered in Mapusa Friday evening in solidarity with the protests unfolding at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Banerjee said he also joined the protests to tell the youth that “not all actors are silent”. “I feel very good, satisfied that I am here [to protest in Goa]. I would have been really disappointed, if I would not have been able to come for the protest here. Thanks to my wife, she made a house in Goa, so that’s also one of the reasons…I thought it’s important to tell the youth that not all actors are silent. We know how to voice our opinion when it really matters,” the actor added.
The protestors gathered at the Lohia Maidan in Mapusa around 7 pm, and raised slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Vande Mataram” and “Dharmendra Pradhan Isteefa do” [Resign Dharmendra Pradhan], before dispersing around 9 pm. Earlier Wednesday, a protest was held at Azad Maidan in Panaji, after BJP vice-president Narendra Sawaikar had triggered a controversy by putting a post on social media, saying “cockroaches are with termites”.
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In a post on X on Monday night, Sawaikar said: “Cockroaches with the termites! Save the nation!” His post drew criticism from the Opposition parties, who demanded an apology from the BJP leader for using “disgraceful and dehumanising language” to refer to the protesters who had carried out a solidarity march in Panaji on Monday.
On Monday evening, hundreds of protesters had gathered near the Miramar circle and held a candle-light solidarity march to Azad Maidan against the backdrop of protests by the CJP in Delhi. Goa Police Tuesday night lodged an FIR against the “unknown supporters” of CJP and “protesters” for alleged unlawful assembly and for organising the protest “without obtaining prior permission” from the state authorities.