K’taka Cong MLA calls Rashmika Mandanna ‘arrogant’, asks ‘shouldn’t people like her be taught a lesson’
Bengaluru: Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda Ganiga, a staunch supporter of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, has criticised film actress Rashmika Mandanna for allegedly showing arrogance and disregard for the Kannada film industry.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he made the statement while reacting to the row following the controversial remarks by Deputy CM Shivakumar against Kannada film artistes, who remained absent at the inauguration of the international film festival in Bengaluru.
Ganiga also said, “Rashmika Mandanna entered film industry and started her career through the Kannada movie ‘Kirik Party’. She was invited last year for the international film festival. Rashmika claimed that she is living in Hyderabad and she doesn’t know where Karnataka is. Rashmika further said that she doesn’t have time to attend the film festival.”
“One of our (Congress) MLAs went to her (Rashmika Mandanna’s) house personally and requested her multiple times to attend the fest. In spite of it, Rashmika, who made her career through Kannada movies, puts up with such an arrogance, shouldn’t people like her be taught a lesson?” he added.
The film industry should keep quiet, the Congress MLA said.
“I will write a letter to the CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar to take a rethink on providing subsidies on movies,” he added.
Narasimhulu, the President of Kannada Film Chambers of Commerce, is a person who has come from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, tells that Shivakumar has made the remark reeking of arrogance.
“These producers from Andhra Pradesh, who made money here and put that money into real estate made huge money in Karnataka. In turn they speak without respect about our Deputy CM Shivakumar,” Ganiga said.
“The position he has got in the Kannada Film Chambers of Commerce itself is more than enough for him. They all have come from neighbouring states, made couple of movies, now criticise us, shouldn’t they be taught a lesson or just left like that?” he added while lashing out at Kannada film artistes.
“Why the film industry remained absent from the international film festival? They allow film artistes to play the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) cricket matches. The industry body should have asked them to stop cricket matches and attend the film fest. Don’t they have the capacity?” Ganiga asked.
“I ask the Kannada Film Chambers of Commerce President Narasimhulu to zip his mouth. It is a warning. This warning is from Kannada people to him and it is the last one,” the Congress MLA said.
On March 1, during the inauguration ceremony of the International Film Festival held in Bengaluru, Deputy CM Shivakumar expressed his displeasure over the absence of Kannada film artistes.
The Karnataka BJP on Sunday criticised Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar for targeting Kannada film artistes over their absence at the inauguration of the International Film Festival and urged him to come out of his “toxic mindset”.
Leader of the Opposition and BJP leader, R. Ashoka, said: “Come out of the toxic mindset that everyone in society must salute you and behave like your subordinates. Artistes do not belong to anyone. They have the freedom and the right to act according to their own discretion, to associate with whomsoever they wish, or to refrain from doing so. If you want grants, MLAs must bow down and comply –this was the arrogance displayed by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar. Now, he has openly threatened Kannada film artistes on a public platform.”
