The Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board Chairman HS Sachidananda Murthy, on Wednesday, submitted a complaint against Kannada actor Chetan Kumar, demanding an unconditional apology for his tweet on Brahminism, ANI reported.
According to the report, Murthy said that Chetan had “used derogatory comments against Brahmin community. He calls Brahmins, terrorists.” Murthy also said that he and the board met with Police Commissioner Kamal Pant and added that the police has assured them that action will be taken against the actor.
Chetan, who has been vocal about caste politics, tweeted on Sunday quoting BR Ambedkar and Periyar. He wrote, “‘Brahminism is negation of the spirit of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity…we must uproot Brahminism’— #Ambedkar. ‘While all are born as equals, to say that Brahmins alone are highest & all others are low as Untouchables is sheer nonsense. It is a big hoax’ — #Periyar.”
ANI’s tweet quotes Murthy as saying, “Chetan’s comments are unacceptable and he has to tender an unconditional apology to the community. I feel he is doing this just for publicity. I appeal to the police to take strict action against Chetan.”
#equality #justice #rationality pic.twitter.com/wHCf5vl04W
— Chetan Kumar / ಚೇತನ್ (@ChetanAhimsa) June 8, 2021
Chetan told Silverscreen India that he has not received any notice from the police commissioner’s office yet.
“I have only quoted the thoughts and statements of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and vachanas from the Sharana movement in the 12th century Karnataka and other pro-equality champions. Everything I have quoted is in the public domain. I have repeatedly articulated that our fight is against Brahmanism and inequality in its totality; it is not against those accidentally born into the Brahmin caste or into any caste/religion,” he said.
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Earlier, in a series of two videos posted on May 27, allegedly aimed at actor-turned-politician Upendra who has also been vocal on caste politics, Chetan spoke about how Brahmins are using religion and caste for vote bank politics and how Ambedkar’s ideology has been gradually killed. He also said there’s a need to restore the ideologies of Buddha, Ambedkar, Periyar and Basava, and walk on their path.
Besides being an “actor & activist fighting for art, equality, justice, & rationality” as per his Twitter bio, Chetan, along with his Chetan Foundation, has been actively involved in Covid-19 relief efforts across Karnataka. Chetan Foundation has been delivering free food, masks, water, medical aids and ration kits to underprivileged, impoverished and marginalised communities in the state.