Actor Prakash Raj lashed out at Union Minister and singer Babul Supriyo for threatening to skin alive local residents of Asansol last week.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave on Saturday, 31 March, Raj said, “Your leaders are good orators, they keep talking. Today when we are talking about cultural war, we are looking at your behavioural pattern. You know what culture is? All of us are artists here. We need to be more sensitive”.
“Do you know the pain of somebody losing a son? A Imam who lost his son in the Bengal riots said don’t communalise the incident. He asked not to spread hatred. That is culture. But not you (Supriyo), who threatened to skin people (sic)”, he said.
Supriyo was quick to defend his stand saying he had spoken to the Imam for 15 minutes on Friday night. He had used those words only at some of the Trinamool workers who were creating a ruckus and told Raj to know the full story before making statements like that.
The actor was referring to Supriyo’s recent visit to Asansol, one of the areas hit by communal violence following Ram Navami processions across the state.
Cops had found a body of a 16-year-old son of a local Imam, who was allegedly kidnapped and beaten to death by goons. The Imam, however, has become a hero for his appeal for peace urging Muslims not to avenge his son’s murder.
While visiting the Imam, the minister got into a scuffle with local residents when they raised the issue of the recent violence. An FIR was filed against Supriyo at North Asansol police station for violating Section 144 of the IPC, which had been imposed in the area, and assaulting one IPS officer.
The minister had been surrounded by people questioning him and a video showed how, initially, he handled everything in a composed manner, but soon lost his cool, raised his voice and threatened the people.
The former singer had tweeted his support to Imam.
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