New Delhi:
Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi on Sunday countered Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan's remark that India's first "terrorist was a Hindu" and asked whether he made the statement to get Muslim votes. "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?" Oberoi, who is playing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a biopic on his life.
Addressing a rally in Tamil Nadu’s Aravakurichi, a Muslim dominated area, Haasan on Sunday courted controversy by saying terrorism in free India had started with the murder of Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse, who killed the 'father of the nation', was the first terrorist.
“I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India’s first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts,” Haasan said.
The MNM chief's remark didn't go down well with the Bollywood actor, who appealed the earlier not to devide the country. "Please sir, from a much smaller artist to a great one, let’s not divide this country, we are one Jai Hind #AkhandBharat #UnDividedIndia (sic)," he said in a series of tweets.
The remarks of Kamal Haasan were also criticsed by Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan, who warned him of "lightening a dangerous fire" to gain votes by minority appeasement.
“Actor Kamala Haasan recalling Gandhi’s assassination now and calling it Hindu terrorism is condemnable. Standing amidst minorities in TN by-election campaign he is lighting a dangerous fire to gain votes by minority appeasement. kamal didn’t opine on recent Sri Lanka bomb blast why? (sic),” Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan tweeted.
