Mumbai, Oct 29 — Actor Puneet Issar has criticised veteran star Naseeruddin Shah over his remarks against the government, accusing him of selective criticism and questioning his silence on issues concerning national interest.
Calling Naseeruddin his senior, teacher, and a respected artist, Issar told IANS that while everyone has the right to express their opinion and criticise the government, they should also speak up against those who allegedly seek to divide the country.
Puneet told IANS: “First of all, Mr. Naseeruddin Shah is our senior; he has been our teacher, he is respected, he is a very good artist. But I just want to say that when you talk, you should not talk selectively. You have become a speaker on so many issues of the world; you sit as a mute, then you do not talk.”
“On one hand, you respond to everything according to the leftist ideology of the Naxalist ideology. On the other hand, you respond to everything according to the leftist ideology of the Naxalist ideology."
"The Tukde-Tukde-Gang, the JNU gang, the criminals who are in jail, the terrorists, The Tukde-Tukde-Gang, the criminals who are in jail, the terrorists, the criminals who are in jail, If you support those people, then what happened to your being an Indian?”
“So my point is that you have every right to have your own opinion, you have the right to speak against the government. But you don't like the government that has come. You get down to the ground, you fight the elections, you win, you defeat the government. This government was not made on a whim, people have chosen this government.”
“They have come after choosing.”
Puneet asked Naseeruddin Shah to fight elections.
“So whatever is your response, whatever is your ideology, you come and stand in the elections. Fight the elections, bring your ideologies to the forefront. After winning, change the government. Who has stopped you? When there is a problem in our country, you remain silent. You don't talk about it.”
He said that the veteran star would remain silent.
“You will remain silent at that time. That is why I say that selective criticism is a very wrong thing. I say that selective criticism is a very wrong thing. When it comes to national interest, those who want to destroy our country, those who want to break our country into pieces, those who speak anti-India, why don't you raise your voice against them?”
Puneet concluded: “Then you become dumb, you are ridiculed. You want to support such people who want to divide our country, who want to break the country. So this is completely wrong. You are our respected leader, I respect you. You have been my head, my teacher. But you don't have the right to speak on one side.”
Naseeruddin on Wednesday made another scathing remark against the government. The actor took to his Facebook, and shared a video of himself talking to the camera.
In the video, he flaunted his badge of “Dimagi Naxal”, a term coined by Prime Minister Modi Independence Day address in August after the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had to resign under public pressure.
He referred to the ongoing protest and drawing parallels to the earlier protests in JNU, the actor mentioned titles such as 'anti-national' and 'tukde-tukde gang'.