Popular Indian actor and director Prakash Raj, who has of late turned quite critical of Hindutva politics and right-wing extremism, was in for a setback when his weekly column in the popular Kannada newspaper Udayavani was discontinued.
The 52-year-old actor, who was a good friend of Gauri Lankesh, took to Twitter to convey his dissatisfaction at the newspaper's decision, referring to it as a "surgical strike" and alleging the role of "Invisible Hands".
Meanwhile, the daily's editor Shiva Subramanya, who assumed the post only on 14 December, dismissed allegations that the discontinuation of Raj's column was dictated by political motives, reported The News Minute.
He has written a lot for us so we need to change the team. We have to give a chance to new writers. It is a routine exercise in every newspaper. What is special in it? There is no hidden agenda, you have to ask him what it is.Shiva Subramanya to The News Minute
Subramanya further said that Raj's column had been stopped from last weekend.
In his last few columns, Raj has delved into topics such as religion, development and farmers’ issues. The actor had earlier lashed out at Modi for being silent on Gauri Lankesh's murder. He had also recently slammed Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde for his controversial remarks on secularism.
Owned by the Manipal group, Udayavani is especially popular in coastal Karnataka. Notably, one of the members of the Pai family – which owns the Manipal group – has an investment in Republic TV, reported The News Minute.
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