Rajeev Chandrasekhar slams Congress MLA for 'teach a lesson' remark on Rashmika Mandanna

Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has strongly criticized Karnataka Congress MLA Ravikumar Gowda Ganiga for his controversial remarks about actress Rashmika Mandanna. The MLA stated that the actress should be "taught a lesson" for allegedly disregarding the Kannada language and film industry.

Speaking to ANI, Gowda expressed disappointment over Rashmika’s absence from the International Film Festival in Karnataka last year, despite being invited multiple times. He alleged that she refused to attend and made statements that suggested she did not acknowledge Karnataka.

Rashmika, who started her career with the Kannada film Kirik Party, did not attend the festival. She said she has her house in Hyderabad and doesn’t know where Karnataka is. One of our legislators visited her house 10-12 times to invite her, but she refused. Despite growing up in this industry, she disregarded Kannada. Shouldn’t we teach her a lesson?" Gowda said.

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The BJP swiftly reacted to Gowda's comments, calling them unconstitutional and inappropriate. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the statement, calling it an example of “Congress goon culture.”

"You can never separate a goon from a Rahul Congressman. This Karnataka MLA from Rahul Gandhi’s party wants to 'teach a lesson' to an actress. Every citizen, including actresses, has rights. If he wants a lesson in the Constitution, I’d be happy to teach him for free anytime, anywhere," Chandrasekhar wrote, tagging Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

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The controversy stems from Rashmika Mandanna’s recent statement where she referred to Hyderabad as her home. This remark did not sit well with certain Kannada groups, who accused her of disrespecting the Kannada film industry despite launching her career in Karnataka.

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TA Narayan Gowda, president of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, also weighed in on the matter, issuing a warning to Rashmika over her remarks. Several Kannada activists have since started a campaign against the actress, demanding that she acknowledge her roots in Kannada cinema.

The backlash has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many defending Rashmika’s right to live and work wherever she chooses, while others argue that she should show gratitude to the industry where she began her career.