New Delhi [India], October 17 : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday criticised actor Prakash Raj over his reaction to a question about allegations of a woman police officer being pushed and shoved, expressing anger over a video in which the actor laughed and responded, "Nice joke."
Sharing the video on X, Rijiju invoked a quote about forgiveness and betrayal, expressing his anger over the actor's reaction.
"My anger is growing every time I see this video! So, never ever forget this:
'Forgive your Enemies once, Friends twice, but never Traitors'," Rijiju wrote.
In another post on X, Rijiju shared a video of a press conference and questioned the actor's response, accusing what he termed "ideological Naxals" of destroying Indian culture.
"This is not our Indian culture! Who is this utter shameless villain?? These ideological Naxals are destroying Indian culture," he wrote.
https://x.com/KirenRijiju/status/2110719602187452510
In the video, Raj was asked about allegations that a woman police officer had been pushed and shoved. The actor did not directly respond to the question but laughed and said, "Nice joke."
Rijiju criticised the actor's reaction, describing it as contrary to Indian cultural values.
His remarks came amid a political controversy over calls for regime change and criticism of the Narendra Modi-led government by senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Bhushan said the government had described the Opposition's campaign as an attempt at regime change, while maintaining that the objective was to protect electoral democracy.
"This government keeps on saying this is the opposition's operation of regime change. We are only appealing to save the electoral democracy in this country. If such barbarism continues, there will definitely be a regime change. We all want a regime change. Is there anything wrong with that? Regime change is a democratic right of every citizen, and creating disaffection against the government is not an offence," Bhushan said.
"Such a government cannot continue, which is hell-bent on crushing the electoral democracy in the country and continues to play with the fundamental rights of citizens," he added.