Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has accused the BJP of seeking revenge against students of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) following what he called the party’s “manipulative victory” in the Bengal elections.
According to The Telegraph India, Shah made the allegations in a video statement on Facebook. “The BJP… after its manipulative victory in Bengal elections, now seems all out for revenge on anyone who does not seem to subscribe to their beliefs and policies,” he said, calling the students “the latest victims of this vendetta”.
“In return for their demand for accountability from the administration, they have been served showcause notices, put under surveillance, threatened and now have even been asked to vacate hostels,” Shah said.
He accused the BJP of backing “shameless propaganda” and trying to “brainwash or frighten the future filmmakers of this country”. “I can promise you this is not going to happen,” he said. He added: “These are the young people who in the future will tell us the truth about themselves and about our country and about the state that we are in.” He urged “all right-minded citizens to support the demands”.
Students have boycotted classes since 28 September following an alleged attack by the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP). They were allegedly attacked again on 4 October by Hindu Jagran Manch supporters.
SRFTI suspended academic activities until 13 November. Six students were rusticated over allegations of manhandling, heckling and verbally abusing vice-chancellor Santosh Ajmera during a 14 October protest. They have refused to leave campus. The institute ordered them to vacate their hostels last week.
Ajmera told Metro: “We would be left with only an option to forcefully remove them from the campus and initiate disciplinary action as per rules.”
After the 27 September attack, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap wrote on Instagram: “This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal. This and so much more.”
On 22 October, filmmaker Payal Kapadia said she was “horrified” that the students faced disciplinary action while no action was being taken against those who assaulted them and groped women students.
On Saturday, student Blossom Hazarika said, “We want accountability from the SRFTI administration for the back-to-back attacks on students. The support from Naseeruddin Shah, Payal Kapadia and others has given our protest momentum.”
Responding to public criticism, Ajmera said, “We respect the right of eminent artistes and public figures to express their concerns. We urge them to consider the complete sequence of events and verified facts before reaching conclusions. Genuine concern for students should help restore academic life, not prolong the impasse or turn it into a political or ideological contest.”
He added, “Our priority is the safety, dignity and academic future of every student. We remain committed to resuming regular classes at the earliest practicable opportunity, subject to safety considerations. Dialogue remains open, but it requires cooperation, respect for institutional discipline and compliance with administrative directions.”
