'If Lynching, Abusing not Terrorising, Then What is?' Asks Actor Prakash Raj

New Delhi: A day after Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan raised the issue of "saffron terror", another actor Prakash Raj on Friday furthered the debate, asking "if instilling fear in the name of religion, culture, and morality was not terrorising, then what it was."

The National Award-winning actor took to Twitter, and posted a note, addressed "to whomsoever it may concern." The note appeared to be targetting the right-wing fringe elements who have indulged in "lynching, abusing and manhandling couples on the streets".

Raj asked: "If abusing and manhandling young couples on the streets of my country in the name of morality is not terrorising," then what is, alluding to anti-Romeo squads that attacked couples in Uttar Pradesh.

Referring to a string of lynching incidents that have battered the country over the last two years, Raj asked: "If lynching on the slightest doubt of cow slaughter is not terrorising," then what is.

The actor also took to task the online trolls, chastising them for abusing and threatening anybody and everybody with a dissenting viewpoint. "If silencing even the slightest voice of dissent is not terrorising, then what is terrorising," he asked, adding, "#Justasking".

On Thursday, superstar Kamal Haasan had reignited the "saffron terror" discussion in a column, saying, “In the past Hindu right-wing groups would not indulge in violence, but they would hold a dialogue with the opposite parties on their arguments. But this old tactic was defeated and what they stated to do is use muscle power. They started indulging in violence.”

BJP, the ruling party at the centre, had taken an exception to Haasan's remarks, demanding the actor apologise for his comments.