Belagavi: Having stirred controversy with his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past, noted actor and activist, Prakash Raj once again took on the BJP on Wednesday here , calling it a fast spreading cancer that was out to kill the country's democracy.
Interacting with journalists in Belagavi, the actor who is also founder of the Just Asking Foundation, said while his fight was against all political parties and leaders who were anti- people and anti – democratic, his immediate focus was the BJP as it was a “ cancer fast spreading across the country, killing its spirit of harmony, secularism and equality.”
“There are many things wrong with other parties. But they are like common cold and fever, compared to the cancer that is spreading fast across the country. It will kill its democracy if not contained'', he warned.
He said he had questioned the Prime Minister several times over his silence on the spread of hatred, but had not received no response. ''I asked him why he was following some youth, who had rejoiced at the killing of Gauri (Lankesh). I asked him why he remained silent when some BJP workers and sympathisers killed people, who had different food habits or followed other faiths. I feel his silence has emboldened them,'' Mr Raj added. The actor declared that his crusade for catching the killers of journalist/activist, Gauri Lankesh would go on till hate crimes ended.
“Even if the killers of Gauri are caught, my grief will not go away. I have lost a great friend of three decades and a tireless crusader for truth. But I will be happy if the offenders are brought to book. My bigger concern however, is to create an environment in which dissent is tolerated and no more Gauris are murdered,’’ he said.
