Maha row: Indrajit Lankesh asks actors to fight

Fans of actor Darshan staged a protest in Mysuru, against Indrajit Lankesh, before his arrival to participate in a Rajyotsava programme in Mysuru, and blackened his photo.

Shilpa P | NT

Mysuru: Sandalwood actor-director Indrajit Lankesh has said that actors should not just restrict themselves to tweeting against the attack on the Sangolli Rayanna statue by MES followers or against the burning of the Kannada flag. They should fight and go to Belagavi and participate in the pro-Kannada movement, he said.

Mr Indrajit who had come to participate in a Rajyotsava programme in Mysuru, was speaking to media persons. He said, “after the death of icons like Dr Rajkumar and Ambarish, there is no proper leadership from the Kannada film industry for pro Kannada movements. It is ironic that we need to invite actors for such protests. Earlier, my father Lankesh had written that Dr Rajkumar would participate in the Gokak movement even without asking him. And later Dr Rajkumar had participated in it too. Shivarajkumar must come forward and take the lead and all other actors must support him. I will go to Belagavi to participate in the protest.’’

At the Rajyotsava event he said that some people (fans of actor Darshan) had warned that they will blacken his face but he was not worried about such warnings or even threats to kill him. “My sister Gauri Lankesh fought all her life and was killed. Even I have been fighting against injustice and communalism and want to become the voice of the oppressed. I have been to different parts of the state wherever there is injustice. Recently Hindi language was imposed on us. Now the Kannada flag has been burnt in Belagavi. During the pandemic, actor Puneeth Rajkumar gave Rs 50 lakh to the state government. I have also helped artists who were in a crisis during the pandemic. Now instead of restricting themselves to tweets, actors should come forward and protest,” he said.

When questioned on his fight against drugs, he said, “It is not significant that celebrities were arrested in a drug case. I initiated that fight to ensure that the young community does not go on the wrong path,” he said.

The border district of Belagavi and Bengaluru too are on the boil after the vandalisation of a statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna and the defacing of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji which was triggered by the face-off between Kannada activists and the pro-Marathi MES.