Did Naseeruddin Shah attend the CJP protest in Jantar Mantar? Viral video is NOT from Delhi

A video circulating on social media has been incorrectly linked to Naseeruddin Shah’s alleged appearance at the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.The video has been fact checked by Grok.

Did Naseeruddin Shah attend the CJP protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar?

The footage, shared on Instagram by a user named Rajesh Gaur, shows Shah standing alongside his sons in a crowded urban setting. However, the location is not Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The video was filmed outside Regal Cinema in Colaba, Mumbai, and appears to show the actor attending a screening event.

The footage shows the actor and his sons standing on a busy street surrounded by buildings, vehicles, traffic signals and a crowd. Observers, including film journalist Aseem Chhabra, and subsequent fact-checks identified the location as the area outside Regal Cinema in Colaba. The video, therefore, cannot be used as evidence that Shah was present at the CJP protest in Delhi on 20 July.

Watch the original video:

The timing of the footage also places it in the context of a cinema screening rather than the Delhi agitation. The films Raja Shivaji and Pati Patni Aur Woh 2, both of which were released in May, were screened at Regal Cinema during the period in which the video was recorded, further supporting the identification of the location as Mumbai.

However, it remains unclear whether Shah actually visited the Jantar Mantar protest on Monday. No verified video or photograph from the protest site has established his presence there.

While the viral video is unrelated to the Delhi demonstration, the absence of verified visuals from Jantar Mantar does not, by itself, prove that the actor was not present at the protest.

CJP protest focuses on NEET reforms

In a joint appeal, the signatories praised the protesters’ determination and described the campaign as “a marathon, not a sprint." They appealed to those on hunger strike to end their fast and preserve their strength for the longer campaign ahead, while continuing to support demands for accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination system.

The appeal also urged residents of Delhi to participate in the July 20 march, which was planned to coincide with the beginning of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. Shah’s arrival at Jantar Mantar on Monday therefore came after he had already publicly endorsed the broader protest.

The CJP-led agitation has focused on alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG 2026 examination, demands for reforms in the examination system and calls for action against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Organisers have also demanded accountability over the alleged paper leak and wider structural changes to the way public examinations are conducted.

The protest had been building for weeks before Monday’s march. Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike. He was later shifted to Safdarjung Hospital after concerns were raised over his deteriorating health. Reports said he continued the fast even after being admitted to hospital, while discussions over the conditions for ending it continued during the day.

The proposed Parliament march had not been authorised by Delhi Police, which imposed restrictions in the New Delhi area and deployed security personnel around Jantar Mantar and other sensitive locations. The CJP, however, continued to call on supporters to gather in large numbers and proceed with the demonstration. Ahead of the march, organisers said thousands of people had gathered at and around the protest site.

The situation later escalated as protesters attempted to move towards Parliament. Reports said the march witnessed clashes, police action and the use of tear gas and lathi-charge, while the police and protesters offered differing accounts of the events. The confrontation marked a sharp escalation from the sit-in at Jantar Mantar and brought the protest into the centre of a wider political debate over examination integrity and accountability.

The protest also drew support from other public figures and political leaders. Actor Shabana Azmi was among those who joined the demonstration and shared visuals from the site, while actor-turned-politician Prakash Raj also participated. Azmi was later seen being assisted away from the crowd after reportedly feeling dizzy during the protest.