Kamal Haasan gets protection from arrest on Godse jibe

Madras High Court on Monday granted anticipatory bail to actor-politician Kamal Haasan in a case filed by the Aravakurichi Police for his statement that independent India’s first terrorist was a “Hindu.”

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court granted relief to Kamal Haasan on a plea filed by him. The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief had approached the court seeking protection against arrest.

Aravakurichi Police had last week filed a case under Sections 153A and 295A against Kamal Haasan for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion” and “deliberately acting to outrage religious feelings”.

The case was filed after Kamal Haasan made the controversial statement that independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu, Nathuram Godse, during a campaign meeting seeking votes for his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) candidate, S Mohanraj, in the Aravakurichi assembly by-polls on May 12.

The case was registered under Sections 153A and 295A

“I am not saying this just because this is a Muslim-dominated area. They (BJP and right wing) attacks me for saying that Hindu extremism exists in India. I say that independent India’s first terrorist is a Hindu. His name is Nathuram Godse,” Kamal Haasan, who termed himself as Gandhi’s “great grandson”, had said.

“I have come here to ask questions about the incident (Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination),” he had said.