Kota Srinivasa Poojary, MLC, said here on Saturday that he is not part of the committee which selected Prakash Raj, actor, director and producer, for this year’s annual Dr. Kota Shivaram Karanth Birthplace Award.
Addressing presspersons, the MLC from the BJP said that an independent committee has been selecting candidates for the award for the past 13 years.
Now, in social media, Mr. Poojary’s name is being drawn unnecessarily projecting that the MLC had had a role in the selection of Mr. Raj. It is not proper to link his (MLC’s) name to the selection process.
Condemning Mr. Raj criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the murder of Gauri Lankesh recently, the MLC said that he would take a decision on whether or not to attend Tuesday’s function in Kota after consulting his party’s higher-ups and his well-wishers. He would abide by the decision of his party.
Earlier, announcing the award last month, H. Pramod Hande, president of the Kotathattu Gram Panchayat, had said that Mr. Rai was chosen for his creativity in films and his contribution to the field.
