Actor Piyush Mishra has taken a swipe at veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah over his remarks on the silence of members of the film industry during student protests, questioning why Shah has not spoken about the ongoing agitation in Ranchi.
Mishra, known for films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Tamasha and Gulaal, recently joined protesting students at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi and expressed solidarity with their demands.
Referring to comments made by Shah during the CJP protests at Jantar Mantar last month, Mishra said, “Naseer Sahab, you had said during the CJP protest that some people from the film industry weren’t speaking up for the students protesting at Jantar Mantar. You said those who have bones in their mouths, they don’t speak. With all due respect, I would like to ask you, where are the other dogs who can’t speak?”
Shah had earlier told The Wire that people would speak out when their conscience prompted them to do so. Using the analogy of a dog unable to bark while holding a bone in its mouth, he had suggested that people would raise their voices once they were no longer constrained.
Meanwhile, the JPSC-JSSC protests in Ranchi have entered their third week, with students continuing their agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The protesters at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium are demanding cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination and an independent probe, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a panel of retired High Court judges. Several aspirants have also undertaken hunger strikes.
Multiple rounds of talks between the protesting students and the Jharkhand government have failed to resolve the stalemate so far. The government has assured the students that their concerns will be examined, while Chief Minister Hemant Soren has stressed the importance of dialogue and transparency.