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'Being uneducated himself...': Naseeruddin Shah slams PM Modi on protests
23 Jul 2026

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has once again spoken out on the ongoing controversy surrounding the 2026 NEET paper leak and the police action against students protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

In an interview with The Wire, he criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's handling of the issue. He also questioned Modi's accountability for his past statements and actions.

'When has he spoken honestly about anything?'
Criticism

When asked about Modi's response to the NEET controversy, Shah said he wasn't surprised.

"I'm not surprised at all. When has he spoken honestly about anything? Has he accepted responsibility for any of his blunders? Has he ever accepted the fact that he was perhaps wrong?"

"No. He's divine, and this supposed divinity of his has affected all his followers," Shah said.

He added, "Being uneducated himself, he doesn't realize the value of students...studies; he gives lessons on examinations."

'He never speaks to the press because he's scared'
Accountability

The 76-year-old also criticized Modi for not holding press conferences, alleging he avoids difficult questions.

"He never speaks to the press because he's scared. He'll be asked about 2002. He'll be asked about his supposed 35 years of begging, meditating in the Himalayas, and traveling abroad before he entered politics," he alleged.

The actor further questioned Modi's public messaging and actions, saying it was hard to take him seriously.

'He tells us to save petrol and drives around...'
Public messaging

Continuing his criticism, the veteran actor questioned Modi's public messaging and actions.

"He tells us to save petrol and drives around in a convoy of SUVs. He tells us not to travel abroad and then leaves on foreign tours," Shah said.

When the interviewer remarked that, in his view, the Prime Minister appeared to be "a fraud," Shah responded, "Well, he's very close to being one."

He went on to criticize the education system.

Shah earlier expressed anger over police action
Recent events

Shah's latest remarks come shortly after he shared an emotional Instagram video expressing anger over the police action against students protesting during Monday's Sansad Chalo march in Delhi.

In that video, he said he was "boiling with anger" after watching footage of security personnel using force on demonstrators and compared the masked officers to American ICE agents.