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Bengaluru: Actor and activist Chetan Ahimsa has said that no one has the right to issue death threats and that he stands by his statements amid the ongoing controversy over his remarks on the memorial of Dr Rajkumar.

The controversy began after Chetan’s social media post questioning the allotment of 2.5 acres of land in central Bengaluru for the actor’s memorial triggered strong reactions from fans.

On Saturday (April 25), a group led by Sara Govindu gathered outside Chetan’s residence and protested. During the protest, Sara Govindu reportedly questioned Chetan for speaking about a personality like Dr Rajkumar.

Following the backlash, Chetan apologised, stating that he did not intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments and that he is also a fan of Dr Rajkumar.

However, the issue continued, with allegations that the apology was made under pressure due to threats. In response, Chetan addressed a press conference and reiterated his stance.

“I have been a fan of Dr Rajkumar since childhood. But we cannot accept people using fan associations to exert pressure. No one has the right to threaten life. We are all under the law,” he said.

He added that the words used by Sara Govindu were not appropriate and that differences of opinion should be expressed respectfully on a proper platform. He also stated that protesting outside his house and issuing threats was not acceptable.

Chetan further said he stands by his original post and believes there was no mistake in raising the question. He added that if Dr Rajkumar were alive, he might have opposed the allotment of land.

In his earlier post, Chetan had said that while Dr Rajkumar is respected as a great artist, the decision to allot land for a memorial in 2006 should be questioned, adding that land should be used keeping public interest in mind.