Veteran actor Piyush Mishra has questioned fellow actor Naseeruddin Shah over what he described as “selective activism,” following Shah’s appearance at a Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest in Mumbai on October 2, 2026.
Mishra addressed Shah in a social media video posted on October 5, raising questions about his participation in the demonstration and his alleged silence on several other incidents.
Piyush Mishra Reacts to Naseeruddin Shah’s CJP Protest Appearance
The CJP protest was held at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged discrepancies in electoral rolls. During the demonstration, Naseeruddin Shah met CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and publicly embraced him.
Mishra’s comments also bring back an earlier disagreement between the two actors. The dispute dates to July/August 2026, when Shah used the phrase “dog with a bone” while criticising Bollywood personalities for not speaking out about student protests, including the CJP-led demonstration at Jantar Mantar and the student movement in Jharkhand.
In his latest video, Mishra questioned why Shah had spoken on some issues while remaining silent on others that he considered significant.
Mishra Raises FlyDubai Flight Incident
One of the incidents mentioned by Mishra was the Flydubai Flight FZ1073 incident involving an Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar. The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, 2026, when an attack involving the co-pilot reportedly took place on board.
Mishra said Machchhar had displayed bravery and helped save 174 passengers and crew members. He urged Shah to acknowledge the pilot’s actions and congratulate him.
“Sir, an accident was averted recently. This happened on Fly Dubai Flight 1073… Mr. Smith Machchhar displayed bravery and saved the lives of 174 people. Please comment on that as well, congratulate him, Sir,” Mishra said in the video.
Mishra also referred to alleged police violence against students at Lovely Professional University (LPU), including claims that female students were dragged by their hair.
Mishra Recalls Shah’s Earlier Response to Jharkhand Protest
Mishra further referred to Shah’s earlier response to a request for assistance during the Jharkhand student protests. According to Mishra, Shah had responded with a poetic statement.
Taking a sarcastic tone, Mishra said the protesting students needed “aata and daal” rather than complex Urdu poetry, adding that he himself found the response difficult to understand.
Towards the end of the video, Mishra said he would respond if Shah made any further statements, stating, “Now if you ever give any statement Piyush Mishra will put out a retort.”
As of October 5, 2026, Naseeruddin Shah or his representatives had not publicly responded to Mishra’s latest video.