This is misreporting, says Naseeruddin Shah

The three-time National award-winning actor Naseeruddin Shah was recently heard taking a dig at Anupam Kher, who has been vocal about his fight for Kashmiri Pandits, especially their rehabilitation in the Valley. Naseeruddin, who doesn’t mince words had reportedly said, “A person who has never lived in Kashmir has started a fight for Kashmiri Pandits. Suddenly, he became a displaced person.”

Now, in an interesting turn of events, Naseeruddin has blatantly denied making statements on Anupam. In an interview to ANI, the actor said, “I have not said any such thing, this is all misreporting.” When asked, about the controversy, Anupam said, “I contacted Naseeruddin and he has denied making such statements. He told me, when I have never said all this for so many years then why would I say it now ’”

Naseer also made a remark on two years of Narendra Modi’s government term, saying that citizens should give more time to the government before forming perceptions about it. He, however, said that the government isn’t “stupid” enough to turn the nation towards “dark ages”. “People are taking decisions and making perceptions toofast. I think we should give the government more time. But, there are few things which make me concerned, like the kind of alterations in the text books. Those are the things to worry about,” Shah said in an interview.

The 66-year-old actor was in the capital to promote his film Waiting, which released on May 27 and spoke elaborately about current affairs. “I believe the people in the government are not stupid to understand the choices in front of them— either to build a modern India or to take us back into the dark ages. I think they are not stupid to take the second choice.

Not for anything else but to at least be in power. I am not leaving hope. If we leave hope it means we have lost the battle,” he said.

Naseer lent support to lyricist Javed Akhtar’s statements during his farewell speech in the Rajya Sabha saying nobody has the right to question a person’s love for their motherland. Akhtar had slammed AIMIM MP Asaddudin Owaisi for saying that he won’t chant ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ because the Constitution does not ask him to do so. He had also condemned right-wing extremists who said Muslims should go to Pakistan.

“I am sad that statements like these are made,”said Naseer. “And they are not even condemned. Like Javed sahab said, ‘It is his right to say ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’. I will say it with my choice and not because somebody asks me to.’ I support him. Nobody has a right to question my love for my country,” he asserted.