Naseeruddin Shah Reacts to Chalo Sansad March: Condemns Police Action, Urges Students Not to Lose Hope

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah shared an emotional video expressing support for the students who took part in the “Chalo Sansad March”. He strongly condemned the alleged police action against protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. This is the first time the veteran actor has spoken out on the issue.

Naseeruddin Shah Condemns Police Action

In the video, Naseeruddin Shah expressed his anger over the incident, saying, 

“I would like to say two things. First of all, if a country is led by an ignorant person, he would want the entire nation to become as ignorant, insensitive and cruel as he is. The youngsters and educated people I once tried to teach after graduating from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and the National School of Drama (NSD) ended up teaching me the most about the craft.”

He further said, 

“I sympathise with them. My heart is heavy, and at the same time, my blood boils seeing how our children are being treated by these goons, who remind me of masked agents in America, carrying sticks in their hands. Think about your own children too, and remember that one day you will also have to face the consequences of your actions.”

Shah urged the students not to lose hope, saying that many people sympathised with them and stood by their cause. He encouraged them to keep fighting, adding that he had always believed in the country’s youth and that his faith in them had only grown stronger. He also sent a message to the government, saying that everything would be remembered.

Did Naseeruddin Shah Join the Protest?

Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media falsely claimed that Naseeruddin Shah and his sons, Vivaan and Imaad, had participated in Monday’s protest at Jantar Mantar. However, the clip was actually from a film screening at Mumbai’s Regal Cinema.

Several Bollywood celebrities, including Sonu Sood, Dia Mirza, Shabana Azmi, Swara Bhasker, Prakash Raj, Diljit Dosanjh, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh, Vir Das, Richa Chadha, Sonakshi Sinha and Ayush Sharma, have also expressed support for the protesters.

Protests Spread Across India

Apart from Delhi, widespread protests were also witnessed in major cities, including Ahmedabad (Ashram Road), Thiruvananthapuram (Lok Bhavan), Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Goa, Guwahati and Jammu, where youth and student organisations took out rallies and marches to protest against the alleged paper leak and the lathi charge.