Actor-activist Prakash Raj said peaceful protests against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls would continue across the country despite attempts to “suppress” them.
There is Ambedkar’s blood in us, there is Bhagat Singh’s blood in us. “We are asking questions: Gyanesh Kumar , why are you stopping us? The intervention led to a minor tussle, after which police allowed the meeting to continue.
“We will continue to fight, we will continue to protest peacefully across the country, and it will prove you wrong that you can get away with this dictatorship,” he said, according to news agency PTI. Raj said the protests would draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh and asserted that attempts to stop the demonstrations would not prevent people from raising questions. The very fact that you are stopping us, detaining us illegally, shows something is wrong,” the actor said. He said India is a democratic and peace-loving country and that citizens have the right to question authorities and protest. “The people of this country, the farmers of this country, the labour unions of this country, and all the student organisations will come to the streets and protest peacefully till you clear us out,” he said. Police said that the organisers did not have permission to use a microphone.
Police intervened before the protest meeting began, leading to a brief confrontation. Speaking to reporters after attending a protest meet against Kumar and the SIR at Manaveeyam Veedhi in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, he said, “There is Gandhi’s blood in us.
