Not anti-Hindu but anti-Modi: Prakash Raj

“They say I am anti-Hindu. But I say I am anti-Modi, anti-Amit Shah and anti-Hegde,” the actor said at a media conclave in Hyderabad on Thursday. He was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his right hand man and BJP president Amit Shah, and Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde, the BJP leader from Karnataka who earned the ire from all around for his comments on rewriting the Constitution itself. 

Not mincing words, Prakash Raj said those who support ‘killers’ cannot be called Hindus. The prime minister, he noted, remained silent even after he appealed to him to speak out when some Modi supporters celebrated the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh. 

“A true Hindu cannot support such activity,” said Prakash Raj, who was a friend of Lankesh. Lankesh, an outspoken critic of the Centre and BJP, was murdered by a gang of suspected right-wing fundamentalists, an incident which transformed the otherwise mild Prakash Raj into a vociferous critic of rightwing elements. 

The actor’s remarks evoked protest from the BJP spokesman in Telangana, Krishna Sagar Rao, who was in the audience. However, the actor remained steadfast on his stand. “When you can call me anti-Hindu, I have every right to say you are not Hindu,” he said. Ever since he began voicing his opinions in public, Prakash Raj has been having a running battle with the BJP in Karnataka.