Mumbai, October 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Actor Puneet Issar has criticised veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah over his recent remarks against the government, accusing him of selectively raising issues and questioning why he does not speak out against people he believes threaten the country’s unity.
While acknowledging Shah’s stature as a senior artist and former teacher, Issar said that the actor had every right to criticise the government but should apply the same scrutiny to issues concerning national interest.
Speaking to IANS, Issar said Shah had become vocal on several domestic and international issues but, in his view, remained silent on others. He also accused the veteran actor of aligning his responses with left-wing and Naxalite ideology, while questioning his alleged support for people he described as anti-national.
Issar argued that those dissatisfied with the elected government should enter electoral politics and seek public support for their ideas rather than limit themselves to criticism.
“You have every right to speak against the government. But you don’t like the government that has come. You get down to the ground, you fight the elections, you win, you defeat the government,” he said, adding that the government had been elected by the people.
He reiterated that criticism should not be selective and called on Shah to speak out against individuals and groups he believes seek to divide the country. Issar also described Shah as a respected figure and reiterated his regard for him as a teacher, while disagreeing with what he characterised as a one-sided approach.
Shah, meanwhile, drew attention on Wednesday with a video shared on Facebook in which he displayed a badge bearing the words “Dimagi Naxal”. The expression has featured in the political debate following its use in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address in August.
In the video, Shah referred to labels such as “anti-national” and “tukde-tukde gang” in the context of ongoing protests and drew parallels with earlier student protests at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
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