Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder and actor Kamal Haasan blamed Friday ‘government apathy’ and ‘half-baked politicians’ for the recent death of a 23-year old woman techie in Chennai after an illegal hoarding put up by an AIADMK functionary crashed on her.
The victim R Subhashree, riding a two-wheeler, lost balance and fell on the road after the hoarding crashed on her and she was run over by a water tanker that came from behind. The incident prompted a public outrage.
Kamal Haasan said the powers that be have kept people ‘slaves’ by calling them ‘ordinary’ folks, but asserted such ‘ordinary’ citizens create ‘extraordinary’ leaders.
“Many Subhashrees and Raghus have been killed due to this government apathy,” Kamal Haasan said in a video.
K Raghupathy (Raghu) also died in similar fashion in 2017 in Coimbatore when he was run over by a corporation lorry after his two-wheeler rammed into an arch erected for the ‘MGR Centenary’ fete then. The late MG Ramachandran, fondly addressed as MGR, is founder of the ruling AIADMK and a former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Haasan wondered ‘how many more lives will be taken away by these ignorant officials and half-baked politicians’. “Don’t they have common sense on where to erect or not erect banners,” Kamal Haasan stated.
“Intimidating (those who) raise questions, threatening to chop-off the tongue if one points out at mistakes – this is the politics they know. I have scant respect or fear for such persons,” Haasan lashed out.
He was apparently referring to Tamil Nadu minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji’s statement in May this year that Haasan’s tongue should be chopped off for his statement at a poll rally that India’s ‘first extremist was a Hindu’.
Haasan made the remark in reference to Nathuram Godse, who had gunned down Mahatma Gandhi.
PTI