Is Silencing Even Slighest Voice of Dissent Not Terrorizing?: Prakash Raj

Chennai: Actor-filmmaker Prakash Raj on Friday supported actor Kamal Haasan's views on "Hindu extremists".

"If instilling fear in the name of religion... culture... morality is not terrorizing... then what is it. Just asking," tweeted Prakash Raj, a popular name in the Kannada, Telugu and Tamil film industries.

In an accompanying post titled "To whomsoever it may concern", Prakash Raj wrote: "If abusing and manhandling young couples on the streets of my country in the name of morality is not terrorizing... If taking law into hands and lynching people on slightest doubt of cow slaughter is not terrorizing... If trolling with abuse, threat... to silence even a slightest voice of dissent is not terrorizing... Then what is terrorizing... Just asking."

His comment came after Kamal wrote in a Tamil magazine that earlier rightwing Hindus used to argue but without indulging in violence. But as their "cunningness" started to fail, they began to resort to violence. "Extremism has spread into their camp as well," said Kamal, who is said to be preparing for a political plunge. "This extremism is not a victory or progress to those who call themselves Hindus."

A month ago, Prakash Raj had condemned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on certain sections "celebrating" the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh on social media. He had said Modi's silence was "chilling".