Recently in the news for taking a strong stand against those who were celebrating the murder of his friend and journalist Gauri Lankesh, actor Prakash Raj on Sunday clarified that he was not joining any political party.
The actor said at a press conference in Bengaluru, “I'm not joining any political party. I don't think actors should join politics just because they're popular. It's a disaster. They should come with a clear perception of the issues facing the country and win the trust of the people."
The actor further said, “And we should not vote as fans but as responsible citizens.”
His statement comes at a time when there is immense speculation over several actors’ political ambitions. While Rajinikanth’s political entry has been much rumoured for several months now, actor Kamal Haasan has declared that we will be entering politics soon.
Prakash Raj was recently in the news for demanding an apology from the Centre on demonetisation. In a post titled "To whomsoever it may concern", Prakash wrote on Twitter: "While the rich found ways to convert their black money into shiny new notes, this disruptive impact made millions suffer helplessly and the unorganised sector workers went for spin. Would you mind saying sorry for the biggest blunder of our time?"
Back in October, the actor created a stir when he lashed out at Prime Minister Modi for turning a blind eye to those supporting Gauri Lankesh’s murder.
“Gauri’s killers may not have been caught yet but what is more distressing is those who celebrated her death. We may not be able to see Gauri’s killers but we can see those who have spewed vitriol,” the actor said. “People who our Prime Minister follows are also among them. We have a Prime Minister who shuts his eyes to this,” he added.
Hitting out at politicians, he further said, "In UP, we don't know whether he's a Chief Minister or the Poojari of a temple. You know, I have 5 national awards. I think I should give them to him."