Kamal Haasan is BJP's B team, shamelessly doing the job: DMK's Dayanidhi Maran
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India Today Web Desk
Kamal Haasan is BJP's B team, shamelessly doing the job, says DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran at the India Today Conclave (South) 2021.
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India Today
DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran accused actor-politician Kamal Haasan of changing colours in politics. He went on to say that Haasan is the BJP's B team and he's "shamelessly doing the job".

Speaking at the India Today Conclave (South) 2021 in Chennai on Saturday, Dayanidhi Maran said, "It is very evident for the people of Tamil Nadu, we have been watching him. He has not been a superstar like Rajini[kanth], but he has been liked by everybody."

"In politics, we see how he changes colours very fast and we know why it happens. Because he has been getting instruction from the top and at one point, he was ready to merge his party with Rajinikanth... and we all know who Rajinikanth was going to join," Maran said.

When asked what role he thinks Kamal Haasan is going to play in Tamil Nadu politics, Maran said, "You should ask his bosses. You should ask Amit Shah, ask [Prime Minister] Modi."

Dayanidhi Maran also said Edappadi K Palaniswami's government is a proxy of the BJP.

"The BJP ran this [Palaniswami's] government. They pushed all their RSS policies to Tamil Nadu... The AIADMK survived because it is the proxy government of the BJP," he said.

"Unfortunately, the propaganda mechanism of the BJP is so good that they manage to silence these [major] issues and highlight petty issues," Maran said.

ON LANGUAGE WAR

"Make Tamil and other 21 languages official languages and then Tamil Nadu may trust you," said Maran.

He appealed to all Union ministers, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to talk in Tamil and but not just during the elections. "We respect your language, respect our language and make Tamil and all other 21 languages official languages and then Tamil Nadu may trust you," he said.

"We are not against Hindi. Anyone who wants to learn Hindi, they are free to do it. But don't impose Hindi on us," Maran said, adding, "To please some sectors, Sanskrit is being imposed. Why should I learn Sanskrit?"

Maran said, "Why don't you put all 22 languages in the schedule and make them official language? But you go to the UN and speak in Tamil."

'WANT EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL'

"Tamil Nadu is a peace-loving state... I am as much Hindu as you are. We want equal rights," Maran said.

"Dravidian leaders ensured that there was reservation. But what did BJP do -- they bought 10 per cent reservation for the higher class, for forwarding community and disguised [them as] economically poor people," Dayanidhi Maran said.

"We don't want them to bring racism in the country...Do not divide the country...why is the BJP dividing every time the election comes. It takes religion into their hands; they sow poison into the state and they leave. They don't realise the poison which is sowed is growing... the people of Tamil Nadu are very peaceful; they believe in secularism. They'll chase BJP out," Dayanidhi Maran said.

ROLE OF CONGRESS IN ALLIANCE

When asked about seat-sharing for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly election and the Congress's role in it, Dayanidhi Maran said, "Every party faces ups and downs, and the Congress also realises that. We as DMK are very very clear because we have told Congress we have to capture power."

"If the Congress doesn't do what we ask them to do or what comes into agreement with this, it will only encourage the BJP... I am happy that Congress leadership understood that," Dayanidhi Maran said.

"It is natural that any alliance will want to contest on more seats... there's always an understanding. We realised that if we give more seats to the alliance, the DMK doesn't come to power," Dayanidhi Maran said.