A veteran actor’s words at a literary festival have landed him in court. A TTD Trust Board member says Prakash Raj’s remarks on the Ramayana crossed the line from opinion into offence.
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A criminal complaint has been filed in a court in Tirupati against film actor Prakash Raj for remarks alleged to be derogatory towards Hindu deities and the epic Ramayana. G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, a BJP leader and member of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, submitted the complaint before the IV Additional Judicial Magistrate of First Class, seeking legal action against the actor under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Reddy had earlier issued legal notice to Prakash Raj and lodged complaints with the police in Tirupati. But there was no action. He then approached the court directly with formal petition.
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Bhanuprakash Reddy stated in his complaint that actor’s statements caused widespread hurt and outrage among the Hindu community.
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Reddy alleged that Prakash Raj made controversial remarks during the Kerala Literature Festival in January.
complainant stated that on April 17, he came across video of the actor on social media. In the video, Prakash Raj allegedly made statements described as highly derogatory, factually incorrect, inflammatory, malicious regarding Lord Rama, Lakshmana, and Ramayana.
According to the complaint, the actor allegedly claimed that Lord Rama and Lakshmana travelled from North India to “invade” the South, which he reportedly equated to “Lanka.”
The complainant alleged that accused wilfully promoted the divisive “Aryan-Dravidian” theory and incited regional animosity. He also said the actor undermined India’s cultural and religious unity. He alleged actor deliberately insulted the deities and scriptures of Hindu religion with intent to outrage religious feelings.
The complainant stated that the accused’s statements attracted Section 299 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. He also cited Section 196, which covers promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, and acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony.
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