Refrain from making baseless comments, Jayakumar tells Kamal

The Finance Minister also asked the popular actor to make such comments after entering politics, adding that he did not have the “guts” to do so. 

Jayakumar ondered Kamal had not levelled such allegations when late chief minister J Jayalalithaa was a live and questioned why he was speaking out now. 

“Even if he speaks, there should be truth in it. There is not an iota of truth (in his allegations). It is just mudslinging on the government and therefore we are also responding,” he told reporters here. 

“He (Kamal) has no guts to enter politics. But making generalised comments to malign (the government) is not acceptable,” he said. 

The Minister’s statement comes days after his cabinet colleagues S P Velumani and C Ve Shanmugam had hit out at the actor for charging the government with corruption. 

Velumani had sought evidence from Kamal to back his charge and also asked whether the actor was ready to furnish details of the taxes he had paid for his films. 

Law Minister Shanmugam wanted a case to be filed against the actor. The 62-year-old actor, however, was supported by many opposition parties. 

Rebel AIADMK leader and former chief minister O Panneerselvam said everyone was entitled to express their opinions in a democracy. 

“That right cannot be taken away by those in power. It will be a good democratic approach to give a proper reply to a differing opinion,” he told reporters.

A day after DMK working president M K Stalin supported the voice of actor Kamal Haasan, who criticised the government for its irregularities, some minor political parties like the VCK, MDMK and the Left parties too backed Haasan for his opinion against the functioning of state government.

VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan strongly supported the actor’s voice against government. “Not only Kamal, anyone has right to comment and criticise the government. The ministers’ warning to Kamal is highly condemnable,” he said. However, there should be evidence, he stressed. Similarly, general secretary of  MDMK Vaiko said that Kamal had criticised the government, because he had a freedom of expression. “What is the wrong in this and Kamal is a big personality in the world. In such a condition, the ministers’ condemnations and threats are highly reprehensible,” he said and added that it would trigger a barrage of debates. The Left parties also echoed the other opposition leaders’ voices. R Mutharasan, state secretary, CPI, said “Why should ministers prevent freedom of speech. What actor Kamal said is right and the opposition from ministers is an indication that there is a malpractice in the administration.” Similarly, G Ramakrishnan, state secretary, CPM, too condemned the ministers. However, Tamilisai Soundararajan, president of state BJP Unit, said, “Let Kamal Hassan first try to revamp film industry and he can air his opinion on politics later.”