Naseeruddin Shah takes dig at Modi government over COVID lockdown, praises healthcare workers

Mumbai: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Saturday lauded healthcare workers for risking their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took potshots at the Narendra Modi government for its 'attitude of indifference' while imposing a nationwide lockdown.

Speaking at the launch of the book, 'Trust in a Time of Crisis', which documents the experiences of medical professionals and volunteers during the pandemic, Shah said listening to doctors recount their struggles was both informative and disturbing.

"The next public health emergency or any other disaster will unfold differently, it will demand different skills, different solutions and perhaps, not perhaps, definitely different forms of leadership," the actor said.

During his speech, Shah read out excerpts from the book, including the foreword by senior advocate Indira Jaising.

"There is a section from the introduction, 'The city that fell silent' which reads as, 'On the evening of the 24th of March 2020, Prime Minister Modi addressed the nation and announced a 21-day national lockdown...'," Shah said.

"If I may add, (the announcement was made) with an attitude of....don't expect any help from me, I am planning to grow my beard and my hair," he said.

Shah described the healthcare workers who lost their lives during the pandemic as "martyrs" in a war against an "invisible enemy".

"Imagination is the greatest weapon an actor has, and having been in these situations, even my imagination fails when I think of what all of you, many of you went through in your PPE kits, I cannot even imagine that...the discomfort, the heat, the exhaustion of your work, nothing stopped you. And my heart is bursting with admiration....you all upheld the hypocritical oath that you took," the 76-year-old actor said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Mathrubhumi and is published from a syndicated feed.)