A video purportedly showing actors Prakash Raj and Rajinikanth entering Delhi’s Jantar Mantar is being widely shared on social media. Users claim the two stars arrived at the protest site to support an indefinite hunger strike led by social activist Sonam Wangchuk under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The clip has sparked widespread attention online, with many presenting it as evidence of the actors’ participation in the ongoing protest.
The video is being shared with the caption, “Prakash Raj Sir and Rajinikanth Sir Ji Jantar Mantar.”
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NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile verified the claim and found that it is misleading.
The NM team initiated its verification by conducting a keyword search to look for credible reports about actor Rajinikanth participating in the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar alongside Prakash Raj. However, the search did not yield any credible news reports, official statements, or verified evidence confirming Rajinikanth’s presence at the protest.
We then ran keyframes from the viral video through a reverse image search, which led to a YouTube video uploaded by The Tribune on July 11, 2026. The footage captured the same moment seen in the viral clip. Notably, the video’s title identifies the people present as CPI(M) leader T.M. Thomas Isaac and actor-politician Prakash Raj participating in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. At no point does the video or its description mention Rajinikanth being present at the demonstration, contradicting the viral claim.
Moving forward, we found a report by the Times of India, dated July 14, 2026, stating that a group of eminent writers, actors, and academics including Arundhati Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, and Ratna Pathak Shah issued a joint statement urging the protesters on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to end their fast while reaffirming support for their demand seeking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET examination irregularities. The statement praised the protesters’ determination and expressed concern over their deteriorating health. However, the report does not mention Rajinikanth as one of the signatories or participants supporting the protest.
Hence, it is evident that social media users misidentified CPI(M) leader T.M. Thomas Isaac as actor Rajinikanth. The viral video does not show Rajinikanth participating in the protest; it features Thomas Isaac alongside actor-politician Prakash Raj at the CJP demonstration in Delhi.
