Kamal Haasan said he Rajinikanth needed to contemplate if it was necessary for them to join hands and face the election.
After films, it seems the iconic Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan rivalry will continue now in the political realm too. On Sunday, Haasan said there was a hue of saffron in Rajinikanth’s politics and until that changed, he won’t enter into an alliance with the south superstar. “There is a hue of saffron in Rajni’s politics. If that doesn’t change then I don’t see an alliance with him. We are good friends but politics is different,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
“I hope Rajini’s colour is not saffron. Alliance with Rajini is unlikely if his colour is saffron,” Haasan said at the annual Indian conference of the prestigious Harvard University. Rajinikanth has long shared good ties with the BJP, with his interest in godmen and his trips to the Himalayas bringing him to the RSS’s notice. He is said to have access to all the Sangh Parivar bigwigs — from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP president Amit Shah to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read more here.
“If necessary (I will hold hands with others),” Haasan said, noting that this is unlikely to be the case. He also ruled out a post-poll alliance. “If there is no majority, its the people’s verdict. Then I would not have to sit but stand and wait for the next time,” he said, indicating that he would prefer to be in the Opposition if his party does not get a majority. “The reason that I have started a new political party itself shows that I want to walk with the people and not politicians,” he said. “All is not well with Tamil Nadu,” he said, slamming the current lot of political class in his state.
Haasan, who set to enter politics soon, on Thursday said he Rajinikanth needed to contemplate if it was necessary for them to join hands and face the election. “Rajini sir, to this question had said that only time will give an answer and I had seconded that view. Truly, only time will answer,” he wrote in his weekly column in Tamil magazine ‘Ananda Vikatan.’ Haasan had also said that the question of aligning with Rajinikanth was not like choosing the star cast for films as both were entirely different things. This comes days ahead of unveiling of Haasan’s political party and his political tour which starts on February 21.
Haasan has not minced his words in condemning ‘Hindu terror’. “In the past, Hindu right-wing groups would not indulge in violence, but hold a dialogue with opposite parties on their arguments. But this old tactic was defeated and they started using muscle power. They started indulging in violence,” he said. “The right-wing cannot challenge anyone asking the question — show me one Hindu terrorist. Terror has spread into their camp as well.”