YouTuber Dhruv Rathee held a press conference on Sunday after coming to India in connection with the protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). He said he is not associated with any political party, including the CJP, and is involved in the movement personally, without wanting to enter politics. Actor Mukesh Khanna, known for “Shaktiman,” responded with sharp criticism on Instagram.

Khanna’s Posts

Khanna shared a short video with a caption using wordplay on Rathee’s first name, which means “Pole Star” in Hindi. He wrote that Rathee criticised India from Germany and now pelts stones after arriving in India. He claimed the police took away Rathee’s “slingshot,” and that he was taken from his sleep and appeared at the press conference smiling to hide tears. Khanna said people would not listen to him and that slogans should now say “Germans, leave India.”

In a longer video, Khanna alleged that Rathee took money to come to India and that the protest was funded on a large scale. He said Rathee had spoken against the country and the Prime Minister from Germany, questioned his claim of not being detained, and argued that holding German citizenship is incompatible with showing an Indian passport. He also disputed the number of protesters Rathee referred to, saying India’s population runs to crores.

Khanna’s Remarks on the Movement

Khanna called the movement the work of a few people and used the word “cockroaches” to describe them, a reference to the party’s name. He claimed that celebrities who backed the movement belong to the “communist lobby” and said communism will not work in India. He ended by telling Rathee to stay in Germany if he wanted to, using an insulting phrase about him that is not repeated here.

What Is Known and Not Known

Rathee has said he is not part of the CJP and came on his own. The source does not provide his reply to Khanna, any official statement on whether he was detained, or evidence for the funding claim. Khanna himself said he did not know how much of Rathee’s account was true.

Why It Matters

The exchange shows how protests over electoral issues are playing out in celebrity and influencer circles, where sharply worded videos can overshadow the facts. With competing claims about detentions, citizenship and funding all unproven in the report, readers need statements from police and the people involved to separate allegation from fact.