Union Minister Kiren Rijiju launched a sharp verbal attack on veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, describing him as a “dangerous urban Naxal” and a “subversive intellectual” following a video released by the 76-year-old actor.
Rijiju stated on social media platform X that he had misjudged Shah’s leanings for years and called his conduct detrimental to India’s democratic framework.
I thought Naseeruddin Shah was just an ordinary actor. I used to respect & like him.. I never knew that he was a dangerous urban Dimagi Naxal !
मुझे उसके असली चरित्र के बारे में बहुत देर से पता चला।। भारत के लोकतंत्र के लिए अत्यंत हानिकारक है। https://t.co/McSDNBJjPt
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) October 28, 2026
The minister’s reaction arrived after Shah posted a video on Facebook expressing solidarity with students at Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia.
Protesters on campus have been demanding a fixed schedule for student union elections, which have remained suspended since 2006. Wearing a badge reading “Dimagi Naxal”—a phrase originating from political discourse—Shah strongly criticised the BJP-led central government, questioning its approach toward public universities and young citizens.
Reciting lines from Bismil Azimabadi’s iconic poem, Shah referenced ongoing campus unrest across Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, and Jamia.
He accused the administration of endangering democratic values and undermining higher education. Shah’s vocal support for student movements in recent months has drawn sharp pushback from ruling party leaders, leading to this escalated political clash.
