Pearle Maaney’s comments on the ongoing student protests have triggered strong reactions on social media, with the actor reportedly losing nearly 3 lakh followers as the controversy continues to gain attention.
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Pearle Maaney’s student protest post triggers backlash (PC: Instagram)
Actor and television host Pearle Maaney has found herself at the centre of a social media storm after sharing her views on the ongoing student protests linked to the NEET controversy. Over the last two days, Pearle has reportedly lost more than 3 lakh followers on Instagram, while her follower count on YouTube and Facebook has also declined. Her post has sparked mixed reactions online, with some supporting her appeal for peace and others accusing her of missing the main concerns raised by students.
What Pearle Maaney wrote about the student protests
In her detailed Instagram note, Pearle described the protests as “painful” and “heartbreaking.” She urged students to stay safe while expressing hope that the movement would remain focused on education reforms. She wrote, “All I could think was … Please don’t get hurt. Please stay safe. If your life is in danger go back home. No cause is worth losing a life over.”
She also added, “At the same time I hope that the original purpose of this movement is never overshadowed. Whenever any movement grows this large emotions run high different voices emerge and the conversation can become more complex. My hope is that the focus always remains on the students and the future they are asking us to build.”
Despite captioning the post with “The comments section is a reflection of my Freedom of Speech,” the comments section was disabled, leading to further criticism from users.
See Pearle Maaney’s viral post here
Pearle Maaney’s social media following sees sharp decline
Pearle’s Instagram account had around 2.7 million followers on July 24 when she shared her statement about the student protests. At the time of writing, her follower count has dropped to nearly 2.4 million. Reports also suggest that she has seen a decline in followers on Facebook and YouTube.
As criticism intensified, Pearle disabled the comments on her original Instagram post. However, users continued expressing their opinions by commenting on her other posts. One Instagram user wrote, “You don’t understand pressure because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth. We weren’t. We fight for every opportunity every mark and every chance to build a better future. That’s the difference between us.” Another commented, “Why don’t u just delete the post itself. Soo much for Comment is a reflection of Ur freedom of speech.”
Instagram Stories create another controversy
As the backlash continued, Pearle shared Instagram Stories that appeared to target a filmmaker without naming him directly. She wrote, “My post should have come with a trigger warning I guess! It has made a lot of people uncomfortable! It has triggered so many people that I want peace safety and non violence. I wonder who these people are. A failed filmmaker now writing a 10 page script about my 4 page post. Adding chili powder and ajinomoto to make it as unhealthy as possible.”
She also added, “And yes my favourite colour is saffron! I think I love it the most on our Indian flag.” The remarks were widely believed to be aimed at filmmaker Sibi Malayil.
Background of the NEET protest movement
The controversy unfolded during the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and examination irregularities. The student-led movement, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanded greater accountability and transparency in the examination system.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk also joined the campaign by undertaking a 26-day hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in support of the students. As public pressure continued to grow, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, 2026, saying he was saddened by the recent developments and had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
