In a recent interview, the distinguished actor Naseeruddin Shah commented on of Narendra Modi ascending to the position of India’s Prime Minister for a third term following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shah expressed a desire to witness PM Modi don a skullcap as a gesture to demonstrate to Indian Muslims that he harbors no aversion towards them.
When inquired about the unprecedented absence of Muslim representation in Modi’s 3.0 cabinet, a first in India’s history, Naseeruddin Shah said, “It is depressing, but not surprising. The hatred for Muslims seems to be visceral… Hamid Ansari (Former President) said there is an element of apprehension among the Muslims in the country. It is something we just have to get to; it is not something the Hindus alone or the Muslims alone can do. It is something we have to do together.”
Naseeruddin, who is known for his daring and bold nature, and also his unabashed political views, added, “Modi seems fond of headgear. I’d like to see him wear a skullcap someday… just wearing a skullcap would be a gesture. After his refusal to wear a skullcap at a function (in 2011), where the maulvis presented him with one, it is difficult to erase that memory. But if he does, it would be a gesture that ‘I am not separate from you. You and I are citizens of the same country. I have no aversion to you’. If he were to convince the Muslims of this country of that I think that would be a great help.”
Prime Minister Modi’s third tenure marks him as the second Indian leader, following founding Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, to secure a third consecutive term. On June 5, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously ratified a resolution appointing Narendra Modi as their leader. Subsequently, he was officially inaugurated as the Prime Minister on June 9.