BJP slams actor Prakash Raj for ‘insulting’ CEC

HYDERABAD

The state BJP on Saturday strongly condemned Tollywood actor and political commentator Prakash Raj for his alleged remarks against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, head of the constitutional body.

In the purported video, the actor is seen addressing a group of civil society organizations and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, where he says, “When we celebrated Ganesh Nimmajan the other day, it was time to perform Nimmajan Gyanesh Kumar, CEC.

Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, BJP official spokesperson NV Subhash and others came down heavily on the actor.

This is the level to which an actor of his stature could stoop to make such an unacceptable remark. He may be right to criticize the Election Commission, but likening the CEC to idol immersion crosses the line from political criticism to disrespecting a constitutional institution, they said.

The leaders made it clear that being a popular actor does not give anyone the right to mock constitutional bodies. “If he objects to the SIR process, let him present facts and evidence to the appropriate forum instead of resorting to provocative street rhetoric,” Mr. Subash said.

He said that Ganesh Nimmajan is a sacred cultural tradition and to drag it into a political attack on the CEC is deeply problematic. The BJP has made it clear that if Prakash Raj believes the SIR process is flawed, he should produce evidence, use available legal remedies and convince people through facts and democratic discussion. “Otherwise, talking about the CEC’s political ‘Nimmajan’ may generate headlines but does nothing to contribute to serious democratic debate,” concluded Subash.

Published – 03 Oct 2026 22:22 IST