Actor Prakash Raj has been a busy man during the ongoing campaign in Karnataka for the 12 May assembly polls. He’s been travelling across the state and asking voters to defeat the BJP with his #JustAsking campaign.
Photo from Times Now conclave videoOn Friday, the actor was a guest on Times Now’s conclave in Bengaluru. Also on the panel was BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy. The session in the conclave witnessed plenty of heated exchanges between the two.
On one occasion, Prakash angrily told a member of the audience, believed to be a BJP supporter, that the saffron party will not be able to secure even 56 seats. This was in reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims that his chest size was 56 inch.
He said, “Come and talk to me after elections if your party can manage to get even 56 seats.” He also lost his cool when Swamy kept referring him as villain, while clarifying that he was an actor, who played the character of a villain.
The actor has been razor sharp with his wit while attacking the politics of hate and bigotry in India, particularly since his friend and known journalist Gauri Lankesh was gunned down to death in Bengaluru in September last year. He had clarified in the past that he was not anti-Hindu but ‘Anti-Modi’ and ‘Anti-Amit Shah.’
He had said, “And they say I am anti-Hindu. No, I am anti-Modi, I am anti-Hegde (Anantkumar), I am anti-Amit Shah and , according to me they are not Hindus. Mr Anantkumar Hegde, who says he wants to wipe out a ‘ism,’ a religion from the face of this earth, cannot be a Hindu ladies and gentlemen.”
However, there were several moments, when Raj lacked his famous wit and sharp attack. For example, when Swamy controversially said that the People’s Representation Act should be amended to bar Muslims from their voting rights if they did not accept their Hindu ancestry, Raj failed to come back with his usual powerful punch.
On Saturday, the famous actor took to Twitter to concede that he had learnt his lessons. He wrote, “LESSON LEARNT @times conclave…Yes ..Yes..Yes…I lost my way in putting forth my concerns against a very manipulative..smart..well prepared..Dr. Subramanian Swamy ..I’m growing ..I will overcome.. such setbacks chisel me.. my resolve to fight for inclusive india got stronger..”
LESSON LEARNT @times conclave…Yes ..Yes..Yes…I lost my way in putting forth my concerns against a very manipulative..smart..well prepared..Dr. Subramanian Swamy ..I’m growing ..I will overcome.. such setbacks chisel me.. my resolve to fight for inclusive india got stronger..
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) May 5, 2018
Raj had recently stunned everyone by alleging that Bollywood producers had stopped offering him roles ever since he started criticising Modi.
Karnataka goes to polls on 12 May, while the counting will take place on 15 May.