Popular actor Prakash Raj takes on Prime Minister Modi. (File) Popular actor Prakash Raj takes on Prime Minister Modi. (File)

Actor Prakash Raj has rejected the reports of him giving back his national award in protest against the killing of veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh saying he is not a fool to do that. “Well I can just laugh at the crawling on the newschannel that Prakash Raj has decided to give back his national awards. I am not such a fool to give back my national awarrds. It has been given to me for my body of work, which I am very proud of,” said the actor.

He, however, added that he is disappointed with the celebration of Gauri Lankesh’s killing and upset with the fact that those celebrating it are being followed by the prime minister. “We don’t know who has killed them (Lankesh and Kalburgi). There is police department. There is SIt which is looking into the case. But we can see who is celebrating. And I am pained. I am taken aback by the celebration of inhuman killing. My question is if such people are being followed by the prime minister and the prime minister is not taking a stand on them or not commenting on them, a s citizen of the country I am disturbed and hurt on the silence of the prime minister,” said Raj.

He also said that he does not belong to any party but as citizen of the country he can question prime minister’s silence. “If his silence is chilling, I can question it as a citizen of this country,” said Raj.

Who is Prakash Raj?- Read

Earlier, it was reported that raj called Modi and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath bigger actor than him and that he wants to give his awards to them. “You can’t make me believe by making promises of good days. See, I’m a bigger actor than you people (Modi government) and I can tell when you are acting. Please respect the fact that I’m a professional actor. When you act as if you don’t know anything, do you think I or people will buy it?,” he had said. Read full story

Raj has won five National Awards – Best Supporting Actor for Iruvar (1997, Tamil), Special Jury Award for Anthapuram (1999, Telugu), Special Jury Award for various movies, Best Actor for Kanchivaram (2007, Tamil), and Best Film for Puttakkana Highway (2010, Kannada).

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