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Anurag Kashyap at Jamia during protest against CAA and NRC in New Delhi | Photo from PTI

Anurag Kashyap visits Jamia: Main naare nahi lagata. Main sirf dil ki baat kehta hoon

Director Anurag Kashyap visited Jamia Milia Islamia University on February 14.

HIGHLIGHTS

Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap visited Jamia Milia Islamia today, February 14, in Delhi, and took part in the protests. He took the stage and expressed concerns about the political situation in the country. Anurag delivered a speech in Hindi where he reiterated that he does not support the NRC or the CAA, and that it is a "fight of patience" urging the students and other protesters gathered not to lose hope.

Anurag started off by saying that this is his first visit to Jamia, and that he feels alive as he steps into the premise, "Main Jamia main pehl baar aaya hoon. Kahin lag raha tha hum mar gaye hain, par yahan aa kar laga ki hum zinda hain."

Talking about the anti-CAA protests that started with Jamia and have now become a nationwide phenomenon, he said, "Mere liye yeh andolan Jamia se shuru hua. Yeh ladaai bahot lambi hai. Kal parson aur chunaav ke sath khatm nahi hogi."

Anurag, who has been vividly critical of Home Minister Amit Shah earlier, said that he doesn't trust what he says, because none of what he or his party says is coherent. "Humein vishwas nahi hai Home Minister kya kehete hain. Woh contradictory statements dete hain. Unhone kaha bill nahi layenge. Phir kaha ki teen din main baat karengey. Main sunta hi nahi hoon ab," Anurag said.

Instead, Anurag believes in people's voice. "Hum ismain vishwas karte hain ki aap kya karte hain. Woh log jo kuch nahin kehe rahe hai, woh bhi silence main aapke saath hain, he added.

Anurag complained that the government should have a dialogue with its people, rather than a monologue. Only that, according to him will solve the issue at hand.

Questioning the Home Minister's role in controlling dissent, Anurag said, "Home minister ka kaam hota hai humari security. Woh dissent dabane ka kaam karte hain."

Anurag further questioned why there were no arrests made post the Jamia violence. "No arrests were made in Jamia violence. The police needs to do their job, they need to identify woh kaun log the," Anurag said at the podium.

Anurag's speech received thunderous applause from everyone gathered. When some started peaceful sloganeering, urging Anurag to join in, he said, "Main naare nahi lagata. Main sirf dil ki baat kehta hoon."

Anurag Kashyap had quit Twitter mid-2019, but returned to the micro-blogging site in December last year. Since then, he has been extremely vocal in protesting against CAA, NRC, and also critiquing the government's stand on the Jamia and JNU violence.

Talking about why he felt the need to return to Twitter, he said, "Aap logon ki himmat dekh kar main Twitter par wapas aaya. Sabko sabke haal par chod kar gaya tha main. Par aap us tareeke ki sarkaar se deal kar rahey hai , jo apno se alag deal kar te hain. Aap aise sarkaar se deal kar rahe hain jo Gargi College ke mosleators ko pakad leti hai aur Dr Kafeel (Khan) ko NSA laga kar andar kar deti hai. UP main bacche maare jaa rahey hain wahan kuch nahi hota."

Anurag's last release was the Netflix anthology, Ghost Stories, in collaboration with Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Karan Johar. He also produced the Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Saandh Ki Ankh last year