Kamal Haasan has come under attack after his remarks on violence by right-wing extremist groups
To the many abuses that have been hurled at him after he spoke about violence by Hindu right-wing groups, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan on Saturday said some people could not stand criticism and came up with threats. Mr Haasan, 62, who is seen to be prepping for a formal plunge into politics, had recently written in a piece in a popular Tamil weekly that while earlier right-wing outfits used to argue without indulging in violence, "extremism has spread into their camp as well".
The remarks had angered the BJP that described Mr Haasan's remarks as "myopic and brazen" and dared him to share his views on controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. But Mr Haasan has also been called names.
"If we question, they call us anti-nationals and want to put us in jail. Now since there is no space in jails, they want to shoot us and kill us... but in democracy, everyone has a right to express one's mind," Mr Haasan, 62, told a meeting of farmers in Chennai today.
BJP lawmaker from Uttar Pradesh Vinay Katiyar has called him "mentally unstable", a lawyer in Varanasi filed a court complaint against "hurting" religious sentiments and on Friday, news agency IANS said, Ashok Sharma of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha Vice President said Mr Haasan should be "shot dead".
But there has been some support for the actor's views too, predictably from the opposition, but they have been careful to make the distinction between Hindu terror and violence from groups linked to the RSS such as the Hindu Mahasabha.
"Hinduism never endorses any kind of violence," Congress leader BK Hariprasad said but added that the Congress was opposed to violence from Sangh Parivar groups such as the Hindu Mahasabha.
Yesterday, noted South Indian actor Prakash Raj too walked into the controversy in support of Mr Haasan. "If instilling fear in the name of religion... culture... morality is not terrorizing... then what is it. Just asking," Prakash Raj said in a message posted on Twitter.
BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had linked Mr Hassan's remarks to his much-speculated entry in politics, saying Mr Haasan has signalled that he has "arrived on political scene as a fringe element".
The award-winning actor had earlier made it clear that he wasn't looking at joining the BJP when he, after meeting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,declared that "saffron wasn't his colour". He has since then also met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who called Mr Haasan among the "very few who have the courage to stick their neck out" against communal forces.
Mr Haasan's meetings with farmers today, and local fishing communities a few days earlier, are in line with his public outreach before taking the plunge into politics with a group of his own.
At today's meeting, the actor told the farmers that 5 lakh youth who were with him would help clean up the state's lakes and river beds.
The controversy comes just a few days before Kamal Haasan celebrates his birthday on November 7, where he has promised to make "a big announcement" and asked his fans to "get ready". He later elaborated that he would give details of arrangements to let his fans can coordinate" with his team and him, a move that is seen as a step towards his political launch.