Not a fool to give my awards to Modi or Yogi: Prakash Raj

News Network

October 3, 2017

Bengaluru, Oct 3: Multilingual actor Prakash Raj, who has earned the wrath of saffronists by lashing out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence over journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder, clarified on Tuesday that he would not return his national awards.

A section of media on Monday had claimed that Raj threatened to give his five national awards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A few other media reported that Raj offered his awards to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Speaking at the 11th state meet of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) in Bengaluru on Monday Raj had said Yogi Adityanath is a better actor than former. “Gauri’s killers have not been caught yet. But what is more disappointing is people celebrating her murder over social media spreading hatred,” Raj said.

"In UP, we don't know whether he's a Chief Minister or the pujari of a temple. You know, I have 5 national awards. I think I should give them to him," he said.

This led to speculations whether Raj was going to return his National Award. However, the actor clarified this in video, saying, "I'm not such a fool to give back my National Award, it's something I'm very proud of.”

Clarifying Raj’s statement, Muneer Katipalla, the state president of DYFI said, “It was only a satirical comment that Prakash Raj made referring to how Adityanath was trying to act like a chief minister.”

Comments

These artists think they are the only intelligent people. Film acting is their profession, which does not make them V.I.P. They get award for their good acting, and not for any good work for the society.

Prakash Raj, you can't beat them in their game of acting.

Mr. Prakash just hold on , man . i follow actor dileep who committed a crime . Will that make me a bad guy ? It seems that prime minister is sitting idle and just waiting for everyone opinions and make corrections in his facebook and twitter account , fearind returning of awards and what not. just grow up .

Dear Mr. Big actor...Now we know that you are a big chameleon too

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Roadblock to Relief: Speaker Khader’s Push to Expand Key NH-66 Stretch from Nanthoor to Talapady

News Network

November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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