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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CM Siddaramaiah urges Centre to increase LPG supply
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged the Centre to immediately intervene to address a severe shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru, saying the crisis is forcing restaurants and related establishments to shut down and impacting a wide cross-section of the public dependent on the hospitality sector.
In a letter written to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday and shared with the media on Thursday, Siddaramaiah highlighted a sharp mismatch between demand and supply, noting that only a fraction of the required cylinders is being made available.
“As against the demand of 50,000 LPG cylinders from restaurants, hotels, catering establishments and PG accommodations etc., we are able to supply only 1,000 cylinders per day,” the Chief Minister said.
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He added that the shortage has led to a visible increase in shutting down of establishments due to unavailability of commercial LPG, affecting students, IT professionals, farmers, dairy producers and others reliant on the hospitality ecosystem.
Referring to recent directions from the Ministry prioritising domestic LPG supply, Siddaramaiah said the State has taken steps to regulate allocation for essential segments in line with the Centre’s guidelines, but the situation remains critical.
The CM also flagged the absence of an integrated monitoring system for commercial LPG distribution, in contrast to the existing IT system for domestic gas supply, leading to gaps in transparency and oversight.
He further pointed out that Auto LPG, a key fuel for autorickshaws that provide last-mile connectivity in Bengaluru, is also facing similar issues due to the lack of a monitoring mechanism.
Noting that India is expected to receive two LPG tankers soon, Siddaramaiah sought the Union Minister’s intervention to ensure adequate allocation to Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, considering its operational needs and dependency patterns.
“I request your kind intervention to ensure adequate allocation and availability of commercial LPG and Auto LPG to Karnataka, keeping in view the operational requirements and unique dependency patterns of the State, especially city of Bengaluru,” he said.
