BJP youth leaders sprinkled cow urine to  “purify” the stage after actor Prakash Raj, a fierce critic of the saffron party, addressed a recent event in Karnataka, media reports say.

Prakash Raj had been invited to speak at the Left-backed event titled, “Our Constitution, Our Pride” held at Raghavendra Mutt at Sirsi town in coastal Karnataka, 400 kilometres from Bengaluru, NDTV online reported.
The actor-columnist was reportedly critical of union minister Anant Kumar Hegde, the parliamentarian from Uttara Kannada who is known for controversial pro-Hindutva statements.

The BJP’s Yuva Morcha, on the day of Sankranti on Sunday, decided to sprinkle “gaumutra” or cow urine and tulsi (basil leaves) in the auditorium in a “cleansing” ritual.

The workers also declared that all of Sirsi needed to be purified in the same way.

The actor, amused by a report on the cleansing act, tweeted it with a dig: “BJP workers cleaning and purifying the stage from where I spoke in Sirsi town .by sprinkling cow urine (divine gomoothra). Will you continue this cleaning and purification service where ever I go… #justasking”.

Prakash Raj is one of the most vocal critics of the opposition BJP and is known to take to social media to express his views.