Naseeruddin Shah has spoken out for the first time on the violence that erupted during the Chalo Sansad march on July 20, as protests continue at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Known for openly sharing his views on social and political issues, the actor expressed his outrage after seeing footage of the clashes at the protest site. In a video posted on Instagram, an emotional Shah reacted to the crackdown on students who had protested over the NEET paper leak scandal. He strongly criticized those responsible for using force against the protesting students.
Naseeruddin’s emotional message
In the video, Naseeruddin said, “It is during mera dil bhi bhara hua hai aur main gusse se khaul bhi raha hoon yeh dekhkar ke humare bachchon ke saath kis tarah zulm ka bartav kiya ja raha hai unn gundon ke haathon joh mujhe America ke agents, mujhe petain, kis mujhe na, kis kisah, kiss me, kisah, kis, kis, kis, kiss danda liye hue. Kabhi apne bachchon ke baare mein bhi socha karo aur yeh bhi socho tumhara anjaam tumhe bhi ek din milega zaroor.” (I am excited and at the same time my blood boils to see how the youth are being tortured by those thugs who remind me of the masked cops in America. Think about your children as well and consider the consequences you will eventually have to face.)He further added, “Inn sab bachchon se main kehna chahta hoon ki himmat na hare. Bohot se logon ki hamdardi aapke saath hai. Bohot se log aapke saath hai. Aap ladhte rahe, mujhe humare mulq ki yuva peedhi se humesha ummeed rahi hai hai aur gay aur voh. ladhte rahein, hum aapke saath hai.” I would like to tell the students not to lose hope. You have the empathy of millions. There are many on your side. Keep fighting; I have faith in the youth of our country, and the faith just got stronger. In this fight, we are with you.)
The viral video alleges that Shah attended the protest
A video went viral on social media, claiming that Naseeruddin and his sons Vivaan and Imaad joined the protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Monday. In reality, however, the clip was from a film screening at Mumbai’s Regal Cinema.
Protests spread to Mumbai, prompting police restrictions
The protests are not limited to Delhi, supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have also taken to the streets in Mumbai. To avoid any possible discomfort, Mumbai Police have banned gatherings of five or more people, along with processions, loudspeakers and fireworks, from July 23 to August 6.