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Actor Prakash Raj on Sunday joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where he spent the night in solidarity with the ongoing demonstration. The actor interacted with the media and also participated in the protest the following morning. He said he is not afraid of speaking the truth, adding, "I don't want to die before I die."
During the interaction with the YouTube channel TheRedMike, the journalist referred to past public movements in which Bollywood personalities such as Anupam Kher and Aamir Khan had participated, and asked Raj whether he feared speaking out, especially after facing criticism over the years.
Responding to the question, Raj said, "Are yaar, jhooth bolne ko darna hai yaar. Sach bolne ko kya darna hai?" (One should be afraid of telling lies. Why should anyone be afraid of speaking the truth?)
Questioning what he described as a shift in the country's mindset, he added, "Yeh kaise maamla badal gaya hai is desh mein? Sach ke saath khade hona dar nahi hai. Darna kis se hai?" (How has things changed so much in this country? Standing with the truth is not something to fear. What is there to be afraid of?)
The actor went on to invoke the ideals of freedom fighters and national leaders, saying, "Bhagat Singh ne yeh nahi sikhaya, Mahatma Gandhi ne yeh nahi bola, Mandela ne yeh nahi bola, Ambedkar ne bhi yeh nahi bola." (Bhagat Singh did not teach us this, Mahatma Gandhi did not say this, nor did Nelson Mandela or B R Ambedkar.)
Raj said he was guided by his own conscience rather than any political agenda.
"Log poochte hain aap kis ke liye kar rahe hain. Main desh ke liye nahi kar raha hoon, khud ke liye kar raha hoon. Mera conscience ek hai," he said. (People ask who I am doing this for. I'm not doing it for the country; I'm doing it for myself. I have only one conscience.)
Reflecting on the sacrifices made by leaders of the freedom movement, he added that the discomfort he faces is insignificant in comparison.
"Agar hum Ambedkar ko dekhen, Gandhi ko dekhen, Bhagat Singh ko dekhen, unke balidaan ke saamne hamara kitna hai? Itna bhi dard nahi reh sakte desh ke liye?" (If we look at Ambedkar, Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, what are our sacrifices compared to theirs? Can we not bear even this much pain for the country?)
When the journalist remarked that some people might be hesitant to associate with him because of his outspoken views, Raj replied with another pointed remark.
"Mujhe marne se pehle nahi marna hai. Zinda rehna hai." (I don't want to die before I actually die. I want to stay alive.)
Prakash Raj has frequently voiced his opinions on political and social issues and has often participated in public demonstrations. His latest remarks came during his visit to Jantar Mantar, where he stood alongside protesters and reiterated the importance of speaking the truth without fear.
Along with Prakash Raj, veteran actor Shabana Azmi was also present at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
