'Shouldn't respect be mutual?': Puneeth Rajkumar nephew Yuva Rajkumar sends out assertive message amid the Darshan Hospete incident

The recent attack on Challenging Star Darshan in Hospete has urged the Kannada Film Industry to speak up. Following Kiccha Sudeep's long condemnation note, wherein he asserted that violence, in any context, is never the answer, many other members of the industry have come forward in support of the Kranti actor - along with Sudeep, Shiva Rajkumar, Sumalatha Ambareesh, Srii Murali, Daali Dhananjaya, Duniya Vijay, actor-politician B.C. Patil, Sharan, Sathish Ninasam, and several others have stood in solidarity with Darshan, disapproving of the attack.

For the unversed, an alleged Puneeth Rajkumar fan hurled a slipper at Darshan during a song launch event in Hospet when the actor, along with his Kranti team members, took the stage to address a massive crowd. Although the incident shocked everyone around him, Darshan chose to be composed and ensured that the frenzy is controlled - details of the culprit are yet to be divulged while reports reveal that a police investigation is underway. 

For obvious reasons, the incident triggered a social media battle, so to speak, between Puneeth Rajkumar and Darshan fans as both sides, in an attempt to defend their respective superstar, were found entangled in a war of words. Soon after, the late Powerstar began to trend on Twitter with the matter slowly reaching hysterical heights.

And now, in this vein, Puneeth Rajkumar's nephew and actor-in-the-making Yuva Rajkumar come forth with a detailed viewpoint on the incident. In his most recent social media post, Yuva spoke about the long and deep association that the Dr. Rajkumar family has had with its fans and how, over the years, the fandom has always stood by them with both pride and dignity. The young actor would also question the aftermath of the Hosapete incident and the fact that his late uncle, the very beloved Powerstar, and his many million fans were blatantly abused and disrespected - "Whatever occurred in Hospet is reprehensible. But holding someone else responsible for one individual's actions won't turn a lie into truth. The police are investigating and the culprit will be punished without fail," wrote Yuva Rajkumar in his note.

Among other things, he also wrote, "Shouldn't respect be mutual? The way Appu chikkappa carried himself, his social awareness, his respect towards women, and his affable nature to love everyone - everyone is well aware of his personality, and he will always remain a model individual. However, if one were to speak ill about him, disrespect him, provoke his fans, and hurt their sentiments, the same fans can't be held responsible if they choose to respond a certain way out in the public."

Yuva Rajkumar's assertive post comes on the back of the ongoing furore which has seen Puneeth Rajkumar and Darshan fans at loggerheads. While the film fraternity has unanimously stood by the latter, the fans of the superstars are yet to call a truce but one does hope that the situation comes under control very soon. More updates to follow soon.