On Sunday, Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan, while speaking at an election rally for his party candidate in Aravakurichi assembly constituency stated that independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu and his name was Nathuram Godse.
Kamal Haasan during campaigning in Aravakurichi assembly constituency, Tamil Nadu, yesterday: “I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I’m saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue. First terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse.” pic.twitter.com/LSDaNfOVK0
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2019
Haasan said, “I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I’m saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse.” He claimed that he was seeking answers for Gandhi’s assassination in 1948.
“Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, I will proudly proclaim that”, he added.
Kamal Haasan has a history of ascribing terrorism to Hinduism and has been severely criticised for his statements in the past too. His statement on Godse comes at a time when just recently Islamic State (ISIS) is claiming to have established its province in India and the Indian subcontinent has been recovering from the Easter Sunday attacks in Sr Lanka where ISIS supported terrorists have claimed over 300 lives.
Haasan’s remarks have caused a widespread reaction on social media where many have slammed the blatant Hinduphobic statement that too at a political event seeking votes.
If he wants to get real technical – Godse was an assassin – his reason for killing Gandhi was not because he or Gandhi was a Hindu.
Godse believed that partition led to the massacre of Hindus and Sikhs and the Indian Govt didn’t do enough. https://t.co/gh4zuLlWPo
— Advaita Kala / अद्वैता काला (@AdvaitaKala) May 13, 2019
Kamal Haasan has written,directed and produced the movie “HEY RAM” which showed ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ responsible for the partition.He himself played the role of a man, who wanted to kill Gandhi. So y he wrote such a movie then ? Now for ‘votes’ Godse is terrorist?Then money now vote? pic.twitter.com/JJ8QzJm8PA
— Rahul Sharma ?? (@RS_swaraj) May 13, 2019
“Hindu Terrorist”?Did Godse assassinate in the name of religion,Mr @ikamalhaasan?You need a crash course in Indian History for sure, more importantly one in English! Politics of course, is outside your syllabus! @davidfrawleyved https://t.co/o7ihNXdtmS
— Chowkidar MALAVIKA AVINASH (@MALAVIKAAVINASH) May 13, 2019
Many have called out Haasan’s deliberate attempt to brand Godse a ‘Hindu terrorist’ pointing it out that Godse’s act was an assassination and not terrorism. They have also asked whether Haasan felt compelled to give such a statement because he was in a Muslim-dominated area.
Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify ‘Hindu’ ? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes? @ikamalhaasan https://t.co/Hu3zxJjYNb
— Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) May 13, 2019
6 phases of the Lok Sabha elections have been over and now in the last leg, many politicians are showing their desperate sides. The Model Code of Conduct bt the election commission of India bans seeking votes in the name of religion. As per latest reports, the BJP has demanded the immediate arrest of the actor.
