Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has reacted strongly to the police action against students and protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” march, a day after a video went viral falsely claiming he had secretly taken part in the Jantar Mantar protest in Delhi. Shah did not attend the protest the viral clip was later found to be an old video from Mumbai that had resurfaced online, wrongly linked to the Delhi demonstration.
The “Chalo Sansad” march turned violent on Monday, July 20, when protesters began marching towards Parliament in New Delhi, with police citing the need for answers over alleged irregularities in the NEET paper. To stop the crowd of thousands, Delhi Police resorted to firing tear gas and using sticks and plastic batons against protesters.
Two days after the initially peaceful demonstration organised by the group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) turned violent, several celebrities have criticised the police response to the crowd, which included young students. In a video shared on X, the Main Wapas Aaunga actor condemned the lathi charge on protesters and voiced his support for the students.
Without naming anyone directly, Shah launched a pointed attack on the government amid the NEET protests, describing leadership as “ignorant,” someone who wants the public to be foolish, incompetent, and merciless.
“Agar ek jaahil iss mulk ki rehnumaayi kare to uska dil yahi chahega ki poora mulk ussi ki tarah jaahil, nasamajh, naakabil aur berehem bane,” Shah said. (“If a fool runs this country, his heart will want that the entire country becomes ignorant, foolish, incompetent, and merciless like him.”)
Visibly angry, Shah did not hold back. Calling the police action “zulm” (tyranny), he said he was boiling with anger after watching students being beaten by masked men with sticks men he described as “hooligans” and compared to America’s ICE agents.
“Iss waqt 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 bartaav kiya ja raha hai unn gundon ke haathon joh mujhe America ke ICE agents ki yaad dilate hai, muh pe naqab lagaye hue, haath mein danda liye hue. Kabhi apne bachchon ke baare mein bhi socha karo aur yeh bhi socho tumhara anjaam tumhe bhi ek din milega zaroor,” Shah said. (“Right now, my heart is aching, and I am also boiling with anger watching how our kids have been treated by these goons who remind me of American ICE agents, wearing masks and carrying sticks. Think about your own children sometimes and think that you will get your due one day for sure.”)
Also Read:Delhi Metro Chaos: 16 Stations Closed As CJP Protest Brings Central Delhi To A Standstill
Shah concluded the video by saying that everything that has happened would be remembered.
On July 21, a video of Shah went viral with claims that he had taken part in the protest alongside his son, Vihaan Shah. The clip, however, was not from Delhi it was an old video from Mumbai that had resurfaced online.
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