An FIR has been filed against Kannada actor and Uttama Prajaakeeya Party leader Upendra under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to the police, the actor had allegedly used offensive words on a Facebook Live against a particular community. Deccan Herald reported that during the interaction, referring to negative comments about him, the actor had cited an old Kannada proverb about Holeyas, a Dalit community. "We should consider only good comments," he stated.
Upendra apologised on Facebook stating "I slipped my tongue and quoted an old proverb. I have noticed that many people are disappointed with my statement."
"I extend apologies to everyone for using the proverb and have deleted the video from my social media accounts,” Upendra wrote in Kannada.
On his Facebook page, he also said, “Those who are speaking against me today were not even born then. Fifty years ago, I saw cruel poverty, people dying by suicide by setting themselves on fire, hunger, humiliation and oppression. Would one who has grown up experiencing all this speak ill against a particular section? Am I crazy? What would I gain from it? Don’t you have the courage to offer forgiveness? Why is there so much hate?”
Samatha Sainik Dal youth wing president, Gopal Giriyappa, told DH that "the context in which Upendra used the proverb suggested that Holeyas were troublemakers and unimportant." He has demanded a public apology from Upendra.
The police are investigating the video and the case by registering a first-instance report (FIR).
Moreover, another FIR was filed against Upendra at Halasur Gate Police Station after a complaint was filed by the chief of a pro-Kannada organisation.
(With inputs from ANI)