BJP Hits Back at Naseeruddin Shah Over Kolkata SRFTI Protest Remarks
A major political war of words has escalated between the ruling dispensation and veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah following his outspoken support for striking students at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata. The controversy erupted after Shah accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of pursuing ideological retribution and vendetta politics against individuals who challenge its policies and governance. Countering the actor's accusations with sharp disapproval, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that Shah was running a coordinated narrative campaign against the country while using opposition to the central government as a convenient smokescreen. The sharp exchange has shifted national attention toward the prolonged institutional standoff at Kolkata's premier film academy, drawing sharp reactions across political and cinematic circles over the boundaries of artistic dissent and campus politics.
Chaos at SRFTI Kolkata: Auditorium Vandalism, VC Assault, and 500 Students on Strike
The root of the unrest at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute dates back to September 27, when a faction of protesting students forcibly breached the institute's main auditorium during a formally sanctioned academic event. The confrontation rapidly deteriorated into physical violence and institutional property damage, culminating in an assault on the institute's Vice Chancellor. Following the escalation and subsequent administrative actions, more than 500 students launched an indefinite campus-wide strike that has paralyzed academic and film-production schedules. Naseeruddin Shah’s public intervention in defense of the agitating students brought the regional campus dispute onto the national political stage, with the actor framing the administration's posture as part of a wider suppression of ideological divergence.
Democracy vs Radical Posturing: Pralhad Joshi and Sanjay Nirupam Fire Back
Addressing media personnel in Hubli, Karnataka, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi strongly refuted claims of democratic suppression, emphasizing that the sheer ability of critics like Shah to publicly air dissent is concrete evidence of India's enduring constitutional rights and vibrant democratic fabric. Joshi asserted that critics routinely manufacture claims that democracy is eroding, whereas citizens across the country continue to exercise complete freedom of expression within the framework of law. Echoing this criticism, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam remarked that while millions of cinema lovers across generations have respected Shah’s towering contributions to Indian acting, his recent public posturing reveals an increasingly confrontational political persona driven by radical viewpoints rather than constructive creative critique.
