Actor-politician Prakash Raj has denied reports that he spoke against Tamil students, and that he said that Tamil students in Delhi were taking away opportunities from students belonging to Delhi.
A Tamil daily reported on May 5 that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had said in a campaign speech that over 500 Tamil students in Delhi took away the opportunities of local students, and if voted back to power he would change this scenario. Prakash Raj, who is campaigning for Kerjriwal, reportedly backed this view. The news report did not go well with Tamil students, and Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palanisamy and the state’s BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan reportedly condemned him. Some reports also said that when students asked how he could say this after working in several Tamil films, Prakash Raj allegedly said the he was a Kannadiga and not Tamil.
In the last two days, the news has been picked up by several publications. Prakash Raj clarified that the news was fake when producer Dhananjayan tweeted to him saying, “I hope it’s not true and you were misquoted. In India students from anywhere can study and make a career. No one can restrict that.”
Prakash Raj thanked Dhananjayan for clarifying with him and said, “I never said that. It’s deliberately misquoted with bad intentions. Shame on those who stoop to this level.”
YES .. Dhananjayan… thank you for clarifying with me …. I NEVER SAID THAT. .. it’s DELIBERATELY MISQUOTED WITH BAD INTENTIONS.. SHAME on those who stoop to this level .. https://t.co/itLLKtFdmf
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) May 5, 2019
Prakash Raj has supported Tamil people’s issues on many occasions and has been very critical of both the BJP and AIADMK. He recently released a film about NEET titled En Ezhuthu Igazhel. Corroborating what Tamil people have been saying for months now, Prakash Raj said that NEET exams were destroying a generation of people and we must fight for education to be a state subject.
Watch this disturbing film from Tamilnadu .. on how NEET exams are destroying a generation and impacting the FUTURE….let’s fight for EDUCATION to be a STATE SUBJECT…let’s ensure #citizensvoice in policies made .. https://t.co/jztHemBMzP pic.twitter.com/ER3lJDNOEK
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) May 4, 2019
Prakash Raj is contesting the on-going Lok Sabha elections from Bengaluru Central constituency as an independent candidate. On May 4, he began a week-long campaign for Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi. He told the media he was fighting for a change in power this elections and he supported AAP based on their work around issues of health, education and their vision.
The actor announced his entry into politics in the beginning of this year, and his candidature has been backed by Aam Aadmi Party, CPI(M) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi which swept to power recently.
