New Delhi:

Social media was yesterday abuzz with posts that actor Prakash Raj, who has often been critical of the Narendra Modi government’s policies, will be joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. But the actor has issued a clarification dismissing the reports.

In a sarcastic post on X (formerly Twitter), the actor wrote, “I guess they tried. must have realised they were not rich enough (ideologically) to buy me.. what do you think friends #justasking”.

I guess they tried must have realised they were not rich enough (ideologically) to buy me.. .. what do you think friends #justaskingpic.twitter.com/CCwz5J6pOU

— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) April 4, 2024

The 59-year-old was responding to a post by a user ‘The Skin Doctor’ which claimed that “Eminent actor Prakash Raj will join BJP today at 3 pm.” The post, made at 2.56 pm, went viral within minutes and had raked up nearly a million views before the actor’s response.

In January, Prakash Raj claimed that three political parties are trying to get him on board for the 2024 elections. He said that parties are after him not for his ideology but because he is a critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I don’t want to get into the trap,” the 58-year-old said at the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF).

The award-winning actor is known for his work in films such as “Kanchivaram”, “Singham” and “Wanted”. He had contested as an independent candidate from Bengaluru Central in the 2019 general elections but lost.

Voting for the Lok Sabha elections will be held across seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

Leh:

Actor Prakash Raj on Tuesday visited climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on hunger strike for nearly three weeks here to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

Raj, a vocal critic of the ruling BJP, extended his support to the Wangchuk-led protest and said when the governments do not keep their promises, the people have no option but to unite and raise their voice in accordance with their constitutional rights.

“It’s my birthday today .. and I’m celebrating by showing solidarity with @Wangchuk66 and the people of Ladakh who are fighting for us .. our country .. our environment and our future…let’s stand by them,” he wrote on X.

Its my birthday today .. and i’m celebrating by showing solidarity with ⁦@Wangchuk66⁩ and the people of ladakh who are fighting for us .. our country .. our environment and our future . let’s stand by them #justaskingpic.twitter.com/kUUdRakYrD

— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) March 26, 2024

Talking to reporters after meeting Wangchuk at the protest site, Raj said “we have heard from the people and the scientists that they have been promised (sixth schedule by BJP) and when we remind them (of their promise) they are seeing them as criminals”.

“They (politicians) are making big promises and generating false hopes at election times but later when they take our votes, they don’t look back for next five years. They have nothing to do with us, we are fools to trust their words,” Raj said.

He said the only way is to unite and raise the voice to seek answers from the government and its promises because that is the right of the public.

“If they have promised it in the manifesto and took votes but later betrayed, where will we go? we have to fight (for our rights),” Raj said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)