Madurai: Actor Kamal Haasan on Wednesday launched his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (People Justice Centre), which will seek to provide corruptionless governance, stop playing games on the basis of religion and castes and adopt a centrist approach without swaying left or right too much.
He also declared that he will not indulge in the politics of “freebies”, a practice the Dravidian parties have made famous in Tamil Nadu.
The 63-year-old actor took the political plunge with a visit to the residence of late former President APJ Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram on a hectic day passing by his school and his village in Ramanathapuram before winding up the day with a public meeting here unveiling the party flag and the name.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who addressed the public meeting where the party was launched, hailed Kamal as the new alternative to Tamil Nadu to rout the “corrupt” AIADMK and DMK — a point the actor acknowledged in his speech. In a video message, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan extended his greetings to Kamal, hoping that his entry into politics will enrich the political life of Tamil Nadu and that he will uphold the ideals of secularism, democracy and pluralism.
Kamal said he will serve the people of Tamil Nadu till his last and would like to leave a party for the next three or four generations. “There will be no permanent Chief Ministers if my party is voted to power,” he said.
He refused to answer queries about criticism by DMK leader MK Stalin that paper flowers do not have any fragrance or BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan’s description of him as a bonsai tree and AIADMK minister D Jayakumar calling him a genetically modified seed that will not grow. “Should I answer these critics or look at what we have to do,” he said, adding angrily that this sort of remarks against him only shows how the opponents are angry about his entry. — IANS
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