Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday said Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan had no intention of doing any good to the people and was only spoiling families through his films and TV show Bigg Boss .
Responding to a journalist’s question on Mr. Haasan insinuating that officials who were raided by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption were “following the government’s footsteps”, he said the actor had no knowledge of the administrative machinery.
“He has launched a party now... after retirement [from acting]. What does he know? At 70 [actually 66], he is conducting Big Boss . When those conducting Bigg Boss enter politics, what will happen? No family will prosper watching it. You are considering him a leader of a party and asking questions [about his comments],” he said here.
Mr. Palaniswami alleged that Mr. Haasan’s job was only to spoil good families. “Not only children, even good families will get spoilt watching his programme,” he said. He could have spread better messages through TV programmes on topics such as inter-linking of rivers and farming and through shows for students.
“MGR [the former Chief Minister] spread messages through his songs. Has Kamal Haasan sung any song for the good of the people? If families watch his films, they will be ruined,” he said, adding that actors like MGR and Jayalalithaa had sacrificed themselves for the larger good of society.
Later, in Perambalur, to a question on Mr. Haasan invoking MGR’s name repeatedly in his campaign, he said it amounted to the actor admitting that he had no influence of his own.
All leaders had to use the name of the AIADMK founder to garner votes.
Mr. Palaniswami said that except the AIADMK, nobody had the moral right to use the name of MGR.
Reacting to the Chief Minister’s comments, Mr. Haasan tweeted, “I am happy that even the CM is watching Bigg Boss .”
Earlier in the day, Mr. Haasan had tweeted about the DVAC seizing cash, gold and diamonds and alleged, “The officials were only following the footsteps of the government.”
In response, Mr. Palaniswami said the MNM leader was misleading people and pointed out that the DVAC was a unit of the State government.
It was with the aim of cleansing the administration that such actions were being taken against erring officials, he said.
