Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Slippers were thrown at actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday evening whilst he was electioneering in Tirupparankundram assembly constituency in Madurai.
The slipper attack came three days after Kamal Haasan had said that “independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu”, referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.
BJP workers along with members of Hanuman Sena, a total of 11 people have been booked in the police complaint for throwing slippers. At that time Haasan was addressing the public rally on the stage, however, the slippers did not hit him instead fell on the crowd, said police.
Hassan’s remarks on Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1947, has become a national controversy. The 64-year-old, while campaigning in Aravakurichi on Sunday, had said: “I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent India’s first terrorist (theeviravaadi) was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it starts.”
The BJP quickly reverted back to MNM chief. “We strongly condemn Kamal Haasan for talking about Hindu extremism in his poll campaign. He is triggering communal violence in a place where there are a lot of minorities. The Election Commission must take stringent action against Kamal Haasan for this speech,” Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan tweeted after Haasan’s speech went viral.
Tamil Nadu Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji reacting to the comment said Kamal Haasan’s “tongue should be cut off”. “Extremism has no religion, neither Hindu nor Muslim or Christian,” he said whereas the MNM demanded that he should be sacked for such a comment.
A police complaint was also filed against the actor-turned-politician on Tuesday in Aravakurichi over the controversial remarks.
“What I said is a historic fact. It’s quoted out of context. How can I target a religion? I challenge you to show one instance of me inciting discord,” said Haasan on Wednesday. He also filed a petition for an anticipatory bail in the Madras High Court saying his speech was about Nathuram Godse only and not about the Hindu community as a whole. The Madras High Court is slated to hear the petition today.
On Thursday morning, MNM had issued notice saying the chief’s words were “taken out of context”. “This (his remark) has been taken absolutely out of context and the speech has been painted as anti-Hindu, with a malafide intent. This has created complete confusion and utmost anxiety amongst many common citizens who are not privy to this larger conspiracy,” the statement read.
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