Kamal Haasan, Taking On AIADMK, Tweets Another Politically-Charged Hint

Chennai: Kamal Haasan appeared to move a step closer to taking the political plunge when the acclaimed actor-director on Tuesday escalated his attack on Tamil Nadu government. The award winning actor-director, who had earlier targetted state minsters, asked why nobody was demanding that Chief Minister EP Palaniswami quit.

"If one state's Chief Minister should resign for a mishap and corruption under his government, how come no party calls for resignation in TN (Tamil Nadu). Enough crimes done," Mr Haasan tweeted in his Independence Day message.

"My aim is a better Tamil Nadu. Who dares to strengthen my voice?" the actor said, promising people that they could win. "We are slaves today until we are free from corruption," he added in Tamil.

The reference many say is to Uttar Pradesh where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath faced demands for his resignation from the Congress for the tragic death of children in a Gorakhpur hospital over the past week.

Back in Chennai, Mr Haasan really had got on the wrong side of the AIADMK government last month when he complained that there was corruption everywhere.

When AIADMK ministers threatened to hit back with police cases, Mr Haasan took to social media to start campaign against the AIADMK government, telling people to complain about corruption too. "Let a few lakh complaints reach ministers. Will you arrest all? Or will you respond? In the entire south there wouldn't be space for all in jails" the 62-year-old actor tweeted.

The faceoff with the AIADMK government triggered speculation about his joining the opposition DMK. The rumours surfaced again last week when Mr Haasan turned up at a function to mark 75 years of the DMK's mouthpiece, 'Murasoli'. Kamal Haasan did not rule out joining politics at the event but dropped no hints which side he would lean.

In his tweets on Tuesday, Mr Haasan suggested the political parties such as the DMK and AIADMK were just "tools to help" achieve his objective of a better Tamil Nadu. "If those tools are blunt, find others," he said.

But his fans are divided.

S Kishore a young fan wants Kamal to make the political plunge and calls "his lack of political experience" his strength. "He will do good. He would make a good chief minister," Kishore said.

Venkatesh a film distributor who calls himself a well wisher of the actor, thinks Kamal Haasan didn't want to enter politics but was playing the role of a watchdog and is not serious about entering politics.

"He would not have branded AIADMK and DMK as blunt (weapons) if he was entering politics as he would antagonise their cadre. Personally I want him to continue as a versatile  actor, director and producer. From Indian ocean he should to swim to the Pacific in films," he said.