In a post on X on Wednesday, the minority affairs minister said he had always respected Shah as an actor but had only recently come to know his “real character”.
The remarks came after Shah shared a video on Facebook on Tuesday, expressing solidarity with students of Jamia Millia Islamia who have been demanding the restoration of their students’ union.
Also Read:‘I’m Dimagi naxal and declare it proudly’: Naseeruddin Shah now backs Jamia students with new video
Wearing a pin bearing the words “dimagi naxal”, Shah used the term to describe himself and accused the BJP-led government of weakening the education system and trying to break the confidence of young people.
“I thought Naseeruddin Shah was just an ordinary actor. I used to respect and like him… I never knew that he was a dangerous urban Dimagi Naxal,” Rijiju wrote.
“I came to know about his real character very late,” he added, calling the actor’s views “extremely harmful to India’s democracy”.The term “dimagi naxal” was earlier used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address, when he spoke about individuals allegedly operating within the system and influencing policies in ways that could harm society.
Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC also weighed in on the controversy on Thursday, questioning Shah’s remarks during an interaction with PTI Videos.
“The question is whether Naseeruddin Shah is ACP Rathod or Gulam Hassan of ‘Sarfarosh’,” she said, drawing a comparison between the two central characters in the 1999 film starring Aamir Khan.
In the film, Shah played Gulfam Hassan, the antagonist, while Khan portrayed ACP Ajay Singh Rathod.
Shaina also questioned Shah’s comments on urban Naxalism and what she described as support for anti-national movements. She asked whether the actor stood for “pro-India sloganeering or anti-India”.
Shah, 76, has often been vocal about student protests and the government’s response to them.
In July, he raised concerns over the handling of a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
More recently, he came out in support of students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, where an indefinite sit-in has been underway following incidents of violence on campus.
In his latest video, Shah made no attempt to distance himself from the label “dimagi naxal”. Instead, he embraced it.
“I proudly declare that I am ‘dimagi naxal’. I don’t know what other nicknames the watchmen have given to people like me, anti-national, ‘tukde-tukde’ gang, and I don’t know what else,” he said.
The actor further question the Centre’s approach towards students and the education system. He also accused the government of undermining both.
“What else will you do to break the courage of our country’s youth, to destroy the education system, and to put our democracy at risk? How much will you do? How far will you go?” Shah said in Hindi.
(With PTI inputs)
