Why is actor-activist Prakash Raj opposing only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and urging people not to vote for a “communal party”? Does it mean everything is right with the Congress and the JD(S)? These were the questions he faced at the meet-the-press event organised by the Press Club of Bengaluru.
In response, Mr. Raj said, “BJP is like cancer, while Congress and JD(S) are like cold and cough. We will be stupid to treat cough and cold first, instead of cancer.” He said Election Commission officials had, in some places, said his speeches and outreach programmes may violate the model code of conduct. “I am a citizen and not associated with any political party; I don’t understand how the code of conduct applies to me. Every citizen must have the right to state his opinion, right or wrong. I don’t understand why I can’t say don’t vote for the BJP,” he said.
Explaining his recent meeting with JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Mr. Raj said he supported the idea of regional parties gaining power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. “There were rumours that the JD(S) will join hands with the BJP post-polls. I wanted to ask Mr. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy directly. They have both assured me that they won’t join hands with the BJP,” he said. “My campaign is only against the BJP; let the people decide whom to vote, based on their track record.”
Clarifying that he was not here to join politics, he said #JustAsking Foundation will remain a non-political citizen-centric platform that will help citizens ask questions.
“Post-Assembly polls, we plan to organise the best literary festival for the State, make short films, organise theatre events in colleges, hold debates to empower students, and to ask questions,” he said.
