Fact check: Viral Naseeruddin Shah clip has nothing to do with CJP protest

A video claiming to show veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah attending a recent protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar has been widely shared across social media. However, the claim is false. The footage is not from the national capital and has been taken out of context. A fact check has confirmed that the clip was recorded during a film screening in Mumbai, not at the protest being referred to online.

The video has been circulating with captions alleging that Naseeruddin Shah joined demonstrators gathered at Jantar Mantar in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). As the clip spread across platforms, many users accepted the claim as genuine and shared it further without verification.

Checks into the video's origin revealed that it has no connection to the Delhi protest. The footage was actually filmed at a film screening held in Mumbai, where Naseeruddin Shah was present along with his son.

The original recording was later repurposed and shared with a misleading caption claiming it showed the actor attending the protest in Delhi.

There is no credible evidence to suggest that the actor was physically present at the protest featured in the viral posts. The claim is based entirely on a wrongly labelled video. The fact check establishes that the location shown in the clip is unrelated to the demonstration taking place in the national capital.

Actor has earlier expressed support for protesters

Although the viral video is misleading, Naseeruddin Shah has previously spoken in support of the protesters' demands. Earlier this month, he was among several prominent personalities who appealed to protesters on an indefinite hunger strike to end their fast while continuing to back their demands. That public appeal, however, is separate from the viral clip currently doing the rounds online.

The protest, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and supported by Sonam Wangchuk, is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The group has accused the government of failing to address the alleged irregularities and paper leak surrounding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG, which was held on May 3.

With agency reports