'Serial offender Anant Kumar Hegde calls Dalits dogs', alleges Prakash Raj

After Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde allegedly called Dalits "dogs" at an event in Karnataka recently, Prakash Raj tweeted against the BJP leader.

Bengaluru, Jan 22: If on the one hand, Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde continues to create controversy by his politically-charged remarks, on the other hand, national-award winning actor Prakash Raj continues to pin-point the repeated offences by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

After the Union minister for skill development and entrepreneurship allegedly called Dalits "dogs" at an event organised by his ministry at Ballari in Karnataka recently, Prakash Raj tweeted, "Enough is enough.🙏🙏🙏..Serial offender...minister Ananthkumar Hegde at it again....he calls Dalits DOGs ..for protesting against his controversial constitution remark... supreme leaders of #bjp will you ask him to step down ...or do you endorse his abuse #justasking."

Enough is enough.🙏🙏🙏..Serial offender...minister Ananthkumar Hegde at it again....he calls Dalits DOGs ..for protesting against his controversial constitution remark... supreme leaders of #bjp will you ask him to step down ...or do you endorse his abuse #justasking

— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) January 20, 2018

"We are stubborn people. When dogs bark on the road, we don't care," Hegde said at the Ballari event.

Before his speech at the Ballari event, Dalit protesters had blocked Hegde's car and raised slogans against his remarks on removal of the word secular from the Constitution.

The reference to stray dogs, coming soon after the protests against the Union minister, sparked off anger among Dalit groups. Several Dalits once again staged a demonstration against Hegde after the event. The protesters waved black scarves and shouted slogans against the controversial BJP leader.

Later Hegde clarified that his latest "dogs" remark was made against the "so-called intellectuals" who were critical of his political stand on various issues.

The minister denied the charge on Twitter, calling the actor's remark "glaring propaganda by the ugly distorted minds, who refuse to grow''.

Hegde, at a public meeting in December last year, claimed that the ruling BJP is planning to remove the word "secular" from the Constitution.

Hegde, known for his communally-laced remarks in the past, at a function in Kukanur town in Koppal district of Karnataka stated that he respects the Constitution but "it will be changed in the days to come". "We are here for that and that is why we have come."

After massive protests, he later apologised for his remarks in the Lok Sabha to end the controversy.

OneIndia News