Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Wednesday took a swipe at veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah after the latter described himself as a “dimagi naxal” while expressing support for students protesting at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi.
Taking a dig at Shah through a reference to the 1999 Bollywood film Sarfarosh, Bhatia wrote on X, “Jisko hum ACP Rathod Samjhe the, Woh asl Zindagi mein Gulfam Hassan nikla” (The person we thought was ACP Rathod turned out to be Gulfam Hassan in real life).
In Sarfarosh, Aamir Khan played the role of ACP Ajay Singh Rathod, the film's protagonist, while Shah portrayed Gulfam Hassan, a Pakistani ghazal singer who serves as a spy and a key informer.
Shah backs protesting Jamia students
Bhatia's remark came after Shah shared a video on social media backing the protesting students of Jamia Millia Islamia, who are demanding the restoration of student union elections and raising other concerns against the university administration.
In the video, Shah described himself as a “dimagi naxal” and criticised the government for allegedly labelling its critics as anti-national and members of the “tukde-tukde gang”.
“I proudly say that I am a dimagi naxal,” Shah said, adding that he wanted to question the government over its treatment of young people, educational institutions and democracy.
The actor also referred to student-related controversies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute and Jamia Millia Islamia, saying that the alleged treatment of students would not be forgotten.
What is the Jamia protest about?
Students at Jamia Millia Islamia have been protesting to demand the restoration of student union elections. Their other demands reportedly include the removal of the chief proctor and the withdrawal of action taken against students participating in the agitation. Some students have also resorted to a hunger strike.
