Kiren Rijiju Criticizes Naseeruddin Shahs Mental Naxal Remarks as Dangerous for Democracy

New Delhi, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs, has taken a strong stance against actor Naseeruddin Shah’s recent comments, deeming them a threat to democracy. Rijiju expressed his disapproval on social media, stating that while he once admired Shah, he has now come to recognize a different side of the actor.

In a post on the platform X, Rijiju shared a video of Shah, writing, “I thought Naseeruddin Shah was an ordinary actor. I respected and liked him, but I never knew he was a dangerous ‘urban mental naxal.’” He further emphasized, “I learned about his true character too late. This is extremely harmful for India’s democracy.”

The controversy arose after Shah criticized the government in a video, where he referred to himself as a ‘mental naxal.’ He condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party and the central government’s policies, stating that critics like him are often labeled as ‘anti-national’ and part of the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ by government supporters.

In his remarks, Shah stated, “I proudly say, I am a mental naxal. Do whatever you want, we will see how strong the arms of the killers are.” The term ‘mental naxal’ was notably used by Prime Minister Modi during his Independence Day speech in August.

Shah also questioned the labels assigned to him and others, such as ‘anti-national’ and ‘tukde-tukde gang,’ asserting, “If there is any ‘tukde-tukde gang’ in this country, it is this illegal government.”