Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said that he would seek the support of actor Rajinikanth as a friend for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election.
“When fighting the election we have to seek the support of all. Will I not seek support from my friend?” Mr. Haasan told reporters at Kadiyapatti near Pudukottai.
Stating that he was not aware of the reasons Mr. Rajinikanth took the decision to opt out of a political entry, Mr. Haasan said all that he knew at present was that it was taken on health grounds. If the decision was indeed taken on health grounds, Mr. Haasan said he too, was in favour of it and would accept the decision. “It would have been better if he had been there,” he said when asked whether he felt disappointed over Mr. Rajinikanth's decision as they had both travelled together in the film world.
Replying to another query, the MNM leader made it clear that he was not opposed to spiritualism. “But at the same time nobody can force me to accept spiritualism just like I can’t force anyone to accept rationalism,” he said.
Asked how he would rate the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, Mr. Kamal said the people of Tamil Nadu do not wish to have a BJP government in the State and as far as they were concerned it was “irrelevant.”
To another query on whether he would pursue Dravidian politics and follow that ideology, he said the term Dravidian could not be apportioned to just two parties. “It refers to all of us,” he maintained.
Asked about the perception that he was attacking only the ruling AIADMK government and was soft on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the MNM leader said it was essential to talk about the corruption that was taking place now. “We have to stop the crimes happening now. For the crimes committed earlier, some had gone to jail and a few others had not,” he said.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was releasing the list of the DMK’s corrupt deeds. “He is lessening our burden as we wanted to do that too,” he said.
