I will never join any political party, says actor Prakash Raj
Bengaluru, Jan 18: Actor Prakash Raj, who recently announced his decision to contest the coming Lok Sabha election, said Friday he would never join any political party, alleging the parties were not honest.
Raj said he had decided to contest the election as an Independent from the Bengaluru-Central constituency as "I cannot stay in any party for more than three months."
"I want to be the voice of the people," he said at a press conference here.
The critically-acclaimed actor, who has been active politically ever since the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh here on September 5, 2017, had announced his foray into politics more than a fortnight ago.
Asked whether the anger with which he has taken a plunge into politics would help him, he said, "There should be anger against dishonest people."
Known for his anti-BJP stand, Raj distanced himself from the present turmoil in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka over alleged attempts to dislodge it by the saffron party.
"At the time of (May assembly) elections I knew whom I am opposed to but I did not support anyone. I have no connection with their squabbling," Raj said.
Coming down on the BJP with regard to its alleged attempt to topple the coalition government, Raj said, "The BJP is a bunch of shameless people."
"They call themselves 'gau bhakts' (worshippers of cow) but on an important festival of worshipping cow (Makar Sankranti), they camped in a resort in Delhi instead of being at home," he said.
The BJP MLAs were camping at a luxury hotel in Gurugram, a move the party has defended saying it was to protect their lawmakers from poaching attempts by the ruling coalition in the state, Raj said.
Asked to comment on the Congress's view that his contesting election from the Bengaluru-Central constituency would weaken the secular forces, the actor said, "I welcome secular parties supporting me but if the Congress says that my contesting election as Independent will take away secular votes then let them support me."
To a question, Raj said he was not averse to joining the "Mahagathbandhan", the grand alliance of anti-BJP parties against "communal" forces.
He said he decided to contest the election from Bengaluru-Central because he grew up in the area where the electorate was secular in nature.
The Lok Sabha seat is presently held by the BJP's P C Mohan.
Raj earlier claimed that Bollywood filmmakers stopped offering him roles as he has been critical of the Narendra Modi-led government.
Raj is the latest celebrity to join politics from the South after Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.
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Dalit officer alleges harassment by senior officials in Civil Rights Enforcement Directorate
Bengaluru: An Inspector of the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) has alleged that Dalit officers are facing harassment from senior officials within the department that is meant to handle cases of atrocities against SC/ST communities.
Inspector T.R. Srinivas has made the allegations in a letter addressed to DCRE Director General of Police Umesh Kumar, which he has also shared with the media. He has also released a video reiterating the claims.
In the video, Srinivas has named DCRE SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda, alleging that he was pressured to act in favour of upper-caste accused in certain cases. He further claimed that false complaints were accepted against him and he was harassed in the name of inquiry.
Srinivas also alleged that he was not officially relieved from duty in DCRE, but that SP Karibasangouda and DySP Maheshwaragouda created “fake documents” showing that he had been relieved, which he said was in violation of an order of the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT).
He said he had served for 20 years without any adverse remarks, but is now being targeted. “Working for Dalits and serving in the police department itself seems to have become a mistake,” he said, adding that Dalit officers are not receiving protection in the state.
He also alleged lack of transparency in the department and claimed that decisions are being dominated by upper-caste officials. In the video, he appealed to the government to intervene and prevent any untoward incident, warning that if the situation continues, responsibility would lie with the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the DGP.
Srinivas had been transferred from the DCRE last month, but had obtained a stay on the transfer from the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal.
Meanwhile, DCRE SP Karibasangouda has denied the allegations made by Srinivas.
