‘Saffron is not my colour’: Kamal Haasan says his political ideology will not lean left or right
The actor said he will meet and seek inputs from several leaders before announcing his entry into politics.
Actor Kamal Haasan on Friday said he will take the middle road whenever he decides to enters politics and not lean left or right in his ideology. “My ‘colour’ has been obvious over the 40 years I have worked in cinema, and it is definitely not saffron,” he told reporters in Kerala, where he had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier in the day.
Haasan said “his heroes” were from the left wing, but he will be in the “middle of things”. The actor asserted that he will announce his decision on joining politics only after meeting more politicians and taking their inputs.
On his meeting with the Kerala chief minister, the 62-year-old praised Vijayan for the state of affairs in Kerala and said they spoke about politics. “I see it as an opportunity to learn from the experiences of Pinarayi Vijayan,” he said, according to Manorama. “My admiration for him is not blind, it is a sensible one...It does not matter whether he is left, right or centre. There are Western standards of living here.”
Tamil Nadu political turmoil
Haasan also talked about the ongoing political crisis in Tamil Nadu and the rift in the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He said he wanted Tamil Nadu Governor C Vidyasagar Rao to intervene and resolve the turmoil in the state government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu has been tense since the two AIADMK factions, led by Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, merged. Panneerselvam was appointed to the post after his side came together with Palaniswami’s camp.
On August 22, 19 legislators who back VK Sasikala’s nephew TTV Dinakaran withdrew support from Palaniswami. Since then, the Opposition has been seeking a trust vote in the Assembly. The Opposition also met President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a petition seeking a vote of confidence in the House.
Haasan criticism of the Tamil Nadu government
The actor’s statements come days after he told his fans to be prepared to march to Fort St George, the seat of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, to ensure that corrupt politicians are not re-elected in the state. He reminded fans that the people were responsible for putting corrupt politicians in power.
“We let thieves become powerful after getting bribed,” he said, adding that it was time to admit past mistakes and ensure they are not repeated. “You sold five years for Rs 500 or Rs 1,000.”
Haasan has been critical of the AIADMK for several months. On August 15, he had criticised the government in Tamil Nadu and wondered why no one had called for Palaniswami’s resignation over allegations of corruption. The actor said Indians cannot attain true freedom until they are freed from corruption.