Days after Rajinikanth announced his political entry, actor-turned-aspiring politician Kamal Haasan has stated that he is not willing to turn friends into enemies during his political journey.
Writing in his latest column for Tamil magazine Vikatan, Kamal states, “My political journey will be aimed at growth and development. But in this journey, I’m not willing to turn my friends into enemies, make that enmity bigger, advertise it, turn it into a business and as a result establish my existence. I do not want to continue as a politician in the usual tradition.”
The actor argued that today’s youngsters did not wish to pursue such leadership that fed on enmity. His latest column titled ‘My delay is not due to fear but due to devotion’, comes on the back of frenzied media speculation pitting Rajinikanth against Kamal Haasan.
It also comes on the back of criticism that after announcing his political entry last year, Ulaganayagan has remained largely silent on a number of state issues. Kamal, who has been busy with post-production of his upcoming film Vishwaroopam 2 in the United States, is also yet to launch his much-publicised whistleblower app after promising to do so in January.
“This question is a lot like people asking when Vishwaroopam 2 or Enthiran 2 might release. Since I've given a release date, it does not mean that I'll have to deliver this too like a film,” Kamal writes, adding that his political journey will have to be dealt with “a lot of caution and honesty.”
The actor also chose to address the attacks and legal complaints against him for slamming the alleged voter bribery that took place during the RK Nagar bye-elections in December.
“To understand how it (RK Nagar elections) works, there is no need for great political knowledge. In this scenario, everyone knows how it would start and end. A sort of anticipated accident. To have witnessed it happen is what we should be ashamed of. And we will have to bear this humiliation for a very long time,” he writes.
Kamal had in last week’s column called cash for votes “as deplorable as begging” and called the bye-polls a “colossal taint” on Tamil Nadu, Tamil politics and Indian democracy. His comments were slammed by TTV Dhinakaran, who won the RK Nagar bye-election, and the ruling AIADMK. Dhinakaran’s supporter also took to filing a defamation suit against the actor.
Despite this Kamal chose to stand by his column, writing, “There is no need for an individual or an individual party to get angered by my comments on this. Instead, everyone has to feel angered by this situation. You can direct that anger at me if required. I have no qualms. But someone has to keep reminding everyone of it, is it not? Where will complacency lead us?”