Protest erupts in Karnataka against actor Prakash Raj over alleged "Anti-Hindu" remarks

Pro-Hindu groups in Karnataka staged a spirited protest on September 10 against acclaimed actor Prakash Raj ahead of his scheduled visit to Kalaburgi, citing alleged "anti-Hindu" remarks made by the actor in the recent past. Demonstrators, dressed in black attire, gathered to voice their opposition, chanting slogans, and raising black flags. In response, police authorities detained the protesters to maintain order and security.

Earlier in the day, members of a Hindu organization submitted a memorandum to the Kalburgi District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner, outlining the reasons for their strong objection to the actor's presence in the city. They also demanded that Prakash Raj be prohibited from entering Kalaburgi.

This opposition materialized just before Prakash Raj's planned visit to Kalaburgi, where he was scheduled to participate in a dialogue event and observe a play titled 'Gayagalu,' which is based on the human tragedies of war.

However, this isn't the first instance where Prakash Raj has faced resistance from right-wing groups. A few weeks ago, right-wing members went as far as sprinkling cow urine and "purifying" places visited by Prakash Raj in Karnataka's Shivmogga district as a form of protest.

The multilingual actor has drawn the ire of right-wing organizations due to his vocal criticisms of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the broader right-wing establishment in the country.

In August, just before the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing mission, the actor stirred controversy by sharing a cartoon of a tea seller on the micro-blogging site X (formerly known as Twitter) with a caption that read, "BREAKING NEWS: First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking (sic)." Prakash Raj later clarified that it was a reference to a Malayalam joke.

In 2018, speaking at the India Today South Conclave, Prakash Raj asserted, “They say I am anti-Hindu, but I say I am anti-Modi, anti-Amit Shah, and anti-Hegde.” He was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and late BJP leader Anant Kumar Hegde.