Naseeruddin Shah backs Jamia students, calls himself a 'dimagi Naxal' in fiery video

Naseeruddin Shah has turned the "anti-national" and "tukde-tukde gang" labels often thrown at government critics back on those in power. "I say this with pride: I am a dimagi Naxal," the veteran actor declared in a fiery video, in which he questioned the treatment of students at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and Jamia Millia Islamia. He also had a pointed message for the government, sections of the media and the BJP’s IT cell: do your worst, but the spirit of the country’s youth won’t be broken.Shah began by taking aim at the labels, which he said, have been pinned on people like him by the government’s self-appointed guardians. "Beyond that, I don’t know what other labels the (chaukidaar) watchmen have pinned on people like me - anti-national, tukde-tukde gang, and who knows what else," he said.He then turned the accusation around, calling the government itself a "tukde-tukde gang" before questioning its treatment of young people and educational institutions."What more will you do? How far will you go to break the spirit of our nation’s youth, destroy our educational institutions, and put our democracy at risk?" Shah asked. He also took aim at the people surrounding the government, describing them as a “band of foolish, dishonest individuals” and asking how far they were willing to go. The actor then named three institutions – JNU, SRFTI and Jamia Millia Islamia – as he spoke about what he described as the oppression of students. "First, Jawaharlal Nehru University, then the Satyajit Rai Film Institute, and now Jamia Millia Islamia - students are being subjected to oppression. This will be remembered," he said.Shah also drew on revolutionary poetry to drive home his message. He recited a line from Bismil Azimabadi’s Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, a poem associated with resistance and the struggle for freedom. The verse speaks of the desire for revolution before challenging the strength of those in power: "Let us see how much strength the killer’s arm has." The reference added another note of defiance to his warning that the treatment of protesting students would not be forgotten. He wasn’t done taking aim at those he believes are fuelling the attacks on critics. Turning to sections of the media and the BJP’s IT cell, Shah referred to what he called the "paaltu kutte" (pet dogs) in the "Godi media", accusing them of repeatedly spouting nonsense. He also lashed out at what he described as the "ignorant, incompetent lot" employed by the party’s IT cell."Go ahead, throw everything you’ve got at us," he said, before ending with a defiant declaration: "The spirit of our nation’s youth will not be broken, our educational institutions will not be destroyed, and our democracy will not be imperilled."Watch the video here:Shah has previously spoken up in support of students protesting on campuses. Last week, he backed students at SRFTI, who have been holding an indefinite sit-in following violent incidents on campus. In July, he also criticised the government over its handling of the Cockroach Janata Party-led protest against the irregularities in the NEET 2026 examination.His latest remarks come as Jamia students seek a definite date for student union elections, which haven’t been held since 2006, and a clear timeline for approving the union’s constitution. By bringing Jamia into the same conversation as JNU and SRFTI, Shah has made his concern about the treatment of students clear, ending his message with a warning that those in power cannot simply silence dissent and expect it to be forgotten.- Ends