Well-known character actor and comedian Paresh Rawal created a flutter when he said he felt frustrated by corruption and sometimes felt like picking up a gun.

"Sometimes, I want to become a Naxalite, take a gun and shoot these politicians. They are third-rate, shameless people without any morality, " Paresh declared.

Paresh was speaking after a felicitation here Tuesday night where he was honoured by the Pu.La. Smruti Sanmaan at the ongoing five- day 10th Pulotsav Marathi festival.

The award, comprising a citation and cash Rs.51, 000, is in the memory of the renowned Marathi writer, humorist and theatre personality, the late P.L. Deshpande.

Expressing his strong feelings without mincing words, Paresh said that people who don't have money feel the hardships (in these inflationary times).

"What about the plight of the common man? How will they even manage to survive?"

He said that every time he reads in the newspapers of scams worth thousands and lakhs of crores of rupees, he wonders whether India is really a poor country.

"If there is so much money, India is not a poor country, we are being kept poor, " he said.

And after watching all this corruption, the people have become so weary and impotent with anger that they cannot even launch a revolution, he said.

During the shooting of one of his movies, "Sardar Patel", Paresh happened to see the Constitution of India and was moved to tears by the great personalities named in it. "But, look at the situation today."

He also blamed the people, especially the elite class, who do not utilise the democratic power of "vote" vested in them.

"Then, they deserve the government they get, " he said.

Interestingly, 10 years ago, another towering literary and theatre personality, the late Vijay Tendulkar, had shot into national headlines when he said if he had a pistol, he would have shot Narendra Modi in the aftermath of the Gujarat communal carnage.