India’s first terrorist was a Hindu: Kamal Haasan

BJP demands his arrest

Stoking yet another controversy, actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Sunday said independent India’s “first terrorist was a Hindu” -- Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, even as he stressed extremism had no religion.

Kamal Haasan’s remarks made during his campaign seeking votes for Mohanraj, the Makkal Needhi Maiam’s candidate for the May 19 by-polls to Aravakurichi assembly constituency in Karur district, blew up into a major political row with the BJP demanding his arrest.

Owing to the backlash, Kamal Haasan is understood to have cancelled his campaign meetings in the constituency scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. The actor-politician had received the wrath of the right-wing organisations in 2018 when he had spoken about Hindu extremism.

Speaking at the campaign meeting in a Muslim-dominated area on Sunday night, Kamal Haasan recalling the attacks and threats that he faced a year back for his statement on “Hindu extremism”.

“I said terrorism is wrong. No religion would accept violence be it Hinduism or Islam. No religion professes violence and true Muslims present in this gathering would accept this. These Muslims will vouch that terrorism is not their way. They will swear on the holy book they believe in (Quran) that love is their way,” Kamal Haasan said.

Tearing into the BJP for trying to change the “ethos of the country”, the actor-politician said that attempts being made to drive a wedge between people on the basis of religion and caste should be defeated.

“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”, said.

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

In her statement condemning Kamal Haasan’s statement, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said the actor had no locus standi to talk about Gandhi, who led a principled and disciplined life.

“Everyone knows Kamal Haasan had never followed any discipline in his life. How can he invoke Gandhi? He is enacting drama (to gain sympathy) in politics,” she said and demanded action against him for his statement.

BJP spokesman Narayanan Thirupathy demanded Kamal Haasan’s arrest for trying to “create enmity between two religions.” “Communal Kamal Haasan should express regret for his remarks and apologise. Abusing Hindu religion in front of Muslim voters is nothing begging for votes,” he wrote on Twitter.