NDA slams Naseeruddin Shah over 'Dimagi Naxal' remark, BJP calls it anarchy-inciting
Synopsis
Naseeruddin Shah's decision to wear 'Dimagi Naxal' — PM Modi's own coinage — as a badge of pride has triggered a full-scale NDA offensive, with BJP leaders invoking 2015 Pakistan remarks and a Union Minister calling him 'extremely harmful to India's democracy.' The opposition says it's a familiar BJP playbook. The real story is how a phrase from the Prime Minister's Independence Day address has become the latest flashpoint in India's culture-war politics.
Key Takeaways
NDA attacked Naseeruddin Shah on 29 October over his embrace of the 'Dimagi Naxal' label coined by PM Modi in his Independence Day 2026 address.
BJP spokesperson RP Singh accused Shah of 'encouraging ideas that seek to create anarchy in the country.' BJP MLA Ram Kadam dubbed Shah a 'Dimagi Pakistani' , citing alleged pro-Pakistan remarks at a book event in 2015 .
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called Shah 'extremely harmful to India's democracy.' Congress MP Jebi Mather and TMC MP Saugata Roy defended Shah's right to express his views, calling NDA's response a pattern of political labelling.
The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Thursday, 29 October launched a sharp attack on veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah over his self-identification as a 'Dimagi Naxal', accusing him of promoting ideas that seek to destabilise the country. The controversy erupted after Shah shared a video embracing the label — a term originally coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address in August — and declared himself a 'proud Dimagi Naxal'.
What NDA Leaders Said
BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh said Shah's recent language, combined with what he described as past anti-national remarks and statements supportive of Pakistan, amounted to encouraging anarchic thinking. 'The kind of language Naseeruddin Shah has used recently, along with his past statements that have been anti-national and supportive of Pakistan, and the way he has spoken about West Bengal this time, shows how his thinking is encouraging ideas that seek to create anarchy in the country,' Singh said.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam, while acknowledging Shah's artistic credentials, brought up remarks the actor had allegedly made praising Pakistan at a book launch in 2015. 'He is not 'Dimagi Naxal', rather, he is 'Dimagi Pakistani',' Kadam declared. Union Minister and RPI-A chief Ramdas Athawale struck a more measured tone, saying Shah is a good film actor with a social conscience but adding: 'He should not have a Naxalite mindset... Naxalism has been eliminated from the country, so making such remarks is not right.'
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju went further, calling Shah 'extremely harmful to India's democracy.'
The Opposition's Pushback
Congress MP Jebi Mather dismissed the NDA reaction as a pattern, saying: 'Anybody who says anything the BJP doesn't like, they come up with many terms, like Tukde-Tukde, Urban Naxal... that is their way of functioning. So, nothing is surprising about this.'
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy also backed Shah, arguing the actor had simply expressed his views. 'This (expressing views) is not liked by the BJP; that is why Kiren Rijiju criticised it,' Roy said.
Background: The 'Dimagi Naxal' Term
Prime Minister Modi introduced the phrase 'Dimagi Naxal' — loosely translating to an 'intellectual' or 'mental Naxal' — in his Independence Day 2026 speech, using it to describe those he claimed spread subversive ideas without engaging in open conflict. Shah's decision to reclaim the label as a badge of honour follows a broader pattern of public figures responding to political coinages in kind — similar to earlier episodes involving terms like 'Urban Naxal' and 'Tukde-Tukde gang.'
Wider Context and What Comes Next
The exchange underscores a recurring tension in Indian public discourse between nationalist political messaging and the right of artists and intellectuals to dissent. Naseeruddin Shah has drawn NDA criticism before, including over remarks on mob violence and minority safety. Whether the BJP pursues any formal action beyond political statements remains to be seen, but the episode is likely to intensify debate around the limits of free expression ahead of upcoming state elections.
Point of View
Attach a new pejorative label, and make the artist, not the remark, the controversy. What's different this time is the irony: the NDA is attacking Shah for reclaiming a phrase their own Prime Minister coined. That the term 'Dimagi Naxal' now triggers a political firefight only confirms its potency as a cultural wedge. Mainstream coverage will focus on the exchange of insults; the more important question — whether public figures retain meaningful space to challenge the government's framing — is getting less attention than it deserves.
NationPress
29 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Naseeruddin Shah say to trigger the NDA's reaction?
Naseeruddin Shah shared a video in which he embraced the label 'Dimagi Naxal' — a term coined by Prime Minister Modi in his Independence Day address in August 2026 — calling himself a 'proud Dimagi Naxal.' The NDA accused him of using the video to promote ideas that seek to create anarchy in India.
What is the term 'Dimagi Naxal' and who coined it?
'Dimagi Naxal' was coined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day 2026 speech to describe individuals who allegedly spread subversive or destabilising ideas intellectually rather than through armed conflict. The phrase draws on the older term 'Urban Naxal' that has been used in Indian political discourse.
Which NDA leaders criticised Naseeruddin Shah and what did they say?
BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh accused Shah of encouraging anarchic ideas. BJP MLA Ram Kadam called him a 'Dimagi Pakistani,' referencing alleged pro-Pakistan remarks from 2015. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said Shah should not have a Naxalite mindset, and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called him 'extremely harmful to India's democracy.'
How did the opposition respond to the NDA's attack on Naseeruddin Shah?
Congress MP Jebi Mather said the BJP routinely invents labels — such as 'Tukde-Tukde' and 'Urban Naxal' — for anyone who disagrees with it, calling it the party's standard way of functioning. TMC MP Saugata Roy defended Shah's right to express his views, saying the BJP simply dislikes criticism.
Has Naseeruddin Shah been controversial with the BJP before?
Yes. Shah has drawn political fire on previous occasions, including over remarks on mob violence and the safety of religious minorities in India. BJP leaders have also pointed to comments he allegedly made praising Pakistan at a book launch in 2015 as evidence of a pattern of anti-national sentiment, a charge Shah's supporters dispute.
