Ready to enter politics : Prakash Rai
Bengaluru : " I do not have any political aspirations. But, if pressurised I am ready to plunge into politics. It has its own responsibilities and I would not like to shrug them off," said noted multi-lingual actor Prakash Rai.
He was speaking after receiving the Man of the year Award conferred on him by the Press Club here on December 31, Sunday. "Karnataka's capital Bengaluru is also known as Bendakaluru. No scope must be given for peace disruptors to have their way here. No scope must also be given to those who do not belong here to come here and rule us. We must question them and crush the forces that disrupt peace by passing information about them" said Prakash.
"I was disturbed after journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder. It brought much changes in me. Later I began to speak not just as an actor but as a citizen of this nation. Several have criticised me, some even personally,. I do not differentiate between anyone. I have raised several questions through the hash tag Just Asking. I am not in favour of any party," Prakash Rai clarified.
"I have got wealth, success and everything in life. I have raised my conscience through my interactions with my Gurus- Lankesh, Tejaswi and others. This is why I am questioning the present state of affairs," said Rai.
"Today India is haunted by casteist politics. There is dictatorship in a democratic land. Everyone must raise voice against it. Even journalists are living in an atmosphere of fear. Efforts are underway to silence the voices of journalists who raise voice against injustice, oppression and dictatorship. Therefore, as an artiste I am responding to the society. Everyone must fight against injustice," Prakash Rai said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
HP Cong Minority Morcha delegation meets with party leader Venugopal over mosque row
Shimla (PTI): A delegation of the Himachal Congress Minority Morcha apprised the party's central leaders on Thursday of the atmosphere of fear created in the state by targeting a particular community and staging demonstrations near mosques.
The delegation led by Iqbal Mohammad, president of the state Congress Minority Morcha, also comprised imams of various mosques. It met with Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and its Minority Morcha national president Imran Pratapgarhi in New Delhi.
In a statement here, the state Congress Minority Morcha said the situation has become tense due to demonstrations by Hindu outfits in front of mosques and efforts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere and instill fear among Muslims.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is trying to take people of all religions along but some elements are trying to spoil the atmosphere and malign the government, it added.
According to the statement, Venugopal spoke to the chief minister over the phone over the issue.
Ten people were injured during a protest demanding the demolition of a portion of a mosque in Shimla's Sanjauli area last week. In Mandi, police used water cannons on protestors demanding the demolition of an unauthorised portion of a mosque in the town.
On Tuesday, residents of Kasumpti in Shimla submitted a memorandum to demolish a mosque in the area and similar demands are also coming in from Sunni and other areas in the state.
A dispute between a barber from the minority community and a local businessman in the Malyana area in the suburbs of Shimla on August 30 turned into a communal issue with Hindu groups demanding the demolition of unauthorised mosques and residents calling for the identification and verification of outsiders coming in the state.
