After giving a clean chit to Anna University Vice-Chancellor Surappa on Saturday, Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan on Monday slammed his critics, saying that the intention behind labelling him a “Sanghi” or as part of someone’s “B” team even when he stands for the right cause was to uphold corruption.
Mr. Haasan posted on Twitter that it was no surprise that those who had been exploiting and “eating the wealth of Tamil Nadu” will get together when there is a threat to their business. “After all, aren't they the one who filled Tihar and Parappana Agrahara jails?” he asked. Mr. Haasan said that he was the “B” team of Mahatma Gandhi, whose message was the life he lived. “I have been the ‘A’ team since the age of six. I am reiterating this for the corrupt heir apparent of A1,” he said.
MNM party sources said Mr. Haasan released the video only after meeting Mr. Surappa a few weeks ago and listening to his side of the story. C.K. Kumaravel, MNM’s general secretary, said while honest officials were being “witch-hunted” by corrupt officials, the honest people, who were functioning within the system, would lose faith in the system.
“If the few honest people in the system are witch hunted, people will lose faith in the system. So, somebody has to put the foot down and say I will not allow this to happen. That was the intention,” he said.
The recent social media post by Mr. Haasan was prompted by the alleged campaign by the DMK to set a “narrative”, according to Mr. Kumaravel. “Today, DMK supporters have been hyper-active and setting a narrative that we are a 'B' team of the BJP. Time and again, we have opposed the BJP. It is about the message that is being sent to the honest people within the system,” he said.