Bengaluru: Kannada actor Darshan, the accused number 2, in the Renukaswamy murder case, has been removed from his position as Brand Ambassador for Agriculture Department,  Industries Minister M.B. Patil announced on Friday.

The decision follows protests by farmers in Mandya against the actor, who had previously campaigned in the region for Congress candidate Venkataramane Gowda (Star Chandru) in the recently held Lok Sabha elections and for former MP Sumalatha Ambarish in the 2019 elections from Mandya LS Constituency.

Darshan also campaigned for Sarvodaya Karnataka Party candidate Darshan Puttannaiah in the Melukote Constituency during the 2023 assembly elections. One of his campaign speeches has gone viral on social media, where he declared that no one would find a worse fellow than him, a statement that was met with thunderous applause.

Farmers in the region now demand that the actor be brought to justice and call for a CBI inquiry into the case. Kurubur Shanthakumar, President of the Federation of State Farmers’ Associations, criticised the Government’s decision-making in appointing Brand Ambassadors. “One has to take a higher moral ground in society after reaching a certain position… they should be a role model for others,” he said.

Forest Dept. Brand Ambassador

It may be recalled here that due to his love of animals and popularity, Darshan was appointed as the Brand Ambassador of the Forest Department by the State Government in 2021. During the lockdown and COVID-19 pandemic, when revenue generation dipped at all the Zoos of the State, Darshan appealed to the public to adopt animals, generating Rs. 3 crore to Rs. 3.5 crore in revenue, which helped Karnataka’s Zoos overcome their financial crisis.