Amid heightened speculation of his foray into politics, actor Kamal Haasan waded into a controversy with his remarks about "right wing terror". Reacting sharply, the BJP dismissed the actor as not "a star of any standing right now" and called him "desperate".
"The right wing cannot challenge talk of Hindu terrorists because terror has spread into their camp as well," the actor wrote in the latest issue of Tamil weekly 'Ananda Vikatan'. He, however, took no names in his column.
"Hindus are losing faith in 'satyameva jayate' and instead subscribing to 'might is right'," he rued adding that extremism is in no way a (mark of) success or growth for those who call themselves Hindus.
The actor made the comments responding to a question by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who asked what the actor felt about "Hindutva forces weakening Dravidian culture through slow intrusion".
Hassan has been indicating his inclination to enter politics and has met some Opposition leaders, including Vijayan, recently.
BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy, who, hails from Tamil Nadu, said Hassan is not "a star of any standing right now". "All the while I was fighting corruption, he was sitting in air conditioned rooms buttering (late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister) J Jayalalithaa. He has been utilised by the Left. This politics won't work anywhere, leave aside Tamil Nadu," Swamy said.
In a sharp riposte, BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told DNA, "We are very curious to know what Kamal Hassan thinks of Zakir Naik, PFI in Kerala and Left Front's reign of red terror in Kerala? With his myopic and brazen comments on the so-called Hindu terror, Kamal Haasan has signalled that he has arrived on political scene as a fringe element," Rao said.
He said that opportunistic politicians who have taken this cynical route have bit dust in politics for hurting Indian sentiments. "Many Tollywood actors wannabe MGRs are desperate for media attention," he said.
