New Delhi, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has criticised veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah after the actor described himself as a “proud Dimagi Naxal” and accused the government of undermining democracy and targeting students.
Rijiju, responding to Shah’s remarks on X, said he had previously respected the actor but was disappointed by his statement. He described Shah as a “dangerous urban Dimagi Naxal” and said his views were “extremely harmful to India’s democracy”.
Shah made the remarks in a video shared online, displaying a badge bearing the phrase “Dimagi Naxal”. The term was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address in August.
In the video, Shah questioned the government’s use of labels such as “anti-national” and “tukde-tukde gang” against critics. He alleged that the government was weakening young people’s resolve, damaging the education system and putting democracy at risk.
Referring to Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and Jamia Millia Islamia, Shah criticised the treatment of students and said the events would be remembered.
His comments follow a controversy at Kolkata’s SRFTI, where clashes on September 27, 2026, between students and members of the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat during a campus event triggered protests.
Students subsequently demanded the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santosh Ajmera, accusing the administration of failing to protect them. The institute later suspended six students over alleged misconduct, a decision challenged by the students’ union.
Shah, filmmakers Payal Kapadia and Anand Patwardhan, and others backed the protesting students. The BJP criticised Shah’s remarks, while the institute’s administration alleged that outside forces had politicised the agitation.
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