Aravakurichi (TN): Stoking a controversy, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder Kamal Haasan has said free India’s first “extremist was a Hindu” – Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
Haasan’s comments drew sharp reaction from the state BJP, which slammed him for indulging in “divisive politics”.
However, the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam, a rationalist organisation floated by Dravidian veteran, the late E V R Periyar, came out in support of the MNM leader.
Addressing an election campaign here Sunday night, Haasan said he was one of those “proud Indians” who desires an India of equality and where the “three colours” in the Tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, “remained intact.”
“I am not saying this because this is a Muslim dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India’s first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts,” he said.
Haasan said he was a “self-assumed great-grandson” of Gandhi and that he had come here “seeking answers for that murder,” referring to Gandhi’s assassination in 1948.
“Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the Tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that,” he added.
BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan said the whole nation was shocked when Gandhi was killed and none can justify it, and that Godse was hanged for the “heinous” crime.
She said it was “strongly condemnable” that Haasan used the phrase “Hindu extremism” in a Muslim-dominated area.
“Though he talks of taking forward a new kind of politics, he also indulged in the old, mischievous, poisonous and divisive vote bank politics,” Soundararajan said in a statement.
She said his remarks amounted to inciting “communal violence”.
In an apparent reference to the deadly Easter bombings in Sri Lanka which left over 250 dead, she asked whether persons like Haasan were vocal in discussing the issue “despite being known that perpetrators were Muslims.”
Soundararajan said Haasan’s remarks in a Muslim-dominated area were “mischievous and agenda-driven.”
“Therefore such persons’ campaigning should be banned. Police should take action since there is an effort to create tension,” she said.
Taking a swipe at his earlier statement of threatening to leave the country when his multi-million venture ‘Vishwaroopam’ faced release time issues from Muslim groups over the portrayal of the community, the state BJP chief said, “It is brazen acting that he is now talking about the country, Gandhi and patriotism.”
Haasan, however, found support from the Congress and DK, whose leaders said they found nothing wrong with the actor-politician’s remarks.
TNCC President K S Alagiri said he concurred with Haasan “1000 percent”, while DK chief K Veeramani said Godse trained with RSS.
PTI