Kozhikode: Actor Prakash Raj believes political parties today have lost their voice and have no truth left in them, which is why they are struggling to find candidates. Speaking at a literature festival in Kozhikode, the 58-year-old claimed already that “three political parties” have approached him to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections not for his ideology, but because he is a critic of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further said he doesn't want to fall into that trap.
Prakash Raj had contested as an independent candidate from Bengaluru Central in the 2019 general elections unsuccessfully. "Now that elections are coming, three political parties are behind me. I have switched off the phone because I don't want to get into the trap. They are not coming for the people, for my ideology, they say, because 'I am a 'Modi basher', you are a good candidate'," he said.
"There are no candidates in this country. Political parties are struggling to find a representative of a constituency. How poor are we?" asked the actor.
When asked if he hates Modi, Raj said, "I don't hate him. Is he my father-in-law or do I have any property issues with him? I am just telling him I am a taxpayer... I paid your salary and you are treating me as your servant. Now, that doesn't work... I am asking him to do his job.".
While defending his posts on 'X' criticising the government, the actor said in his posts, "I speak what is there in everybody's heart, and it is not my voice, this is our (people's) voice". "This is not my 'mann ki baat' but our 'mann ki baat'," Raj said while talking about his social media posts.
He further said the person in power needs to be asked questions. "Whether I have voted for him or not voted for him, he is still my PM. This is a democracy, he cannot say you did not vote, you didn't ask... The minute he comes down, whoever will come (next) I'll ask that person. You'll see my tweets change. After he (Modi) goes, if he goes, then why would I talk about him?" he said.
"Do I tweet about Nehru, Hitler, they are not even relevant to me... People will call me fool if I talk about somebody else like Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan -- eight generations back, I was not even born then," Raj said.