Actor Kamal Haasan came down heavily on the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu through Twitter on Friday morning, just days after confirming that he was considering the launch of his own political party in the state.
"No work no pay only for Govt. Employees? How about horse trading politicians languishing in resorts? The honourable court warns teachers on strike. I beseech the court to issue similar warnings to those legislators who desist from attending work," Haasan tweeted referring to the 19 AIADMK legislators who are holed up in various resorts by TTV Dhinakaran.
Dinakaran, the powerful nephew of VK Sasikala, former general secretary of the party, shifted his loyalists to resorts days ago as he waited for the moves of Chief Minister Edapadi K Palaniswami and former Chief Minister O Paneerselvam. The AIADMK general council had recently ousted Sasikala and her nephew from the party.
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to crack down on the striking government employees. It also declared that around 33,000 teachers, who are presently on strike along with government employees demanding for a pay hike, will not be paid. Haasan, in his latest tweets, rapped the government on this decision, while expressing solidarity with the employees on strike.
On Wednesday, the Madras High Court had issued a warning to the teachers against boycotting classes as part of their protest. The state government on Thursday told the court that the absence of the teachers from classes would be considered unauthorised and that they would not be paid their salaries.
Haasan has been regularly targeting the AIADMK government through Twitter. The actor had never shied away from airing his political intentions. He had recently opened up on his plans to launch a political outfit of his own.
"Yes, I am thinking on those lines, not out of choice but compulsion. Which existent political party can provide me with a platform or an ideology that will match my reformatory goals in politics?" he told the Quint in an interview on Thursday.
Adding that he wants to "start the process of change" in the politics of the state, the 62-year-old actor said: "The politics of Tamil Nadu can change and I want to bring about that change, no matter how slow it may be... Don't vote me in and then wait for five years to vote me out. Sack me immediately if I don't deliver... Either I go or corruption in politics goes. We can't have both."
His visit to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's house for lunch earlier this month had triggered speculations that he might choose to join the Left. However, Haasan resolutely denied such reports. Vijayan is an old friend, the actor said, adding that he admires and hopes to learn from the Communist leader.
"My colour is obviously seen over the 40 years I have been working in cinema, definitely it's not saffron... I want to be in the middle of things, not leaning to any side... Most of the leftists are my heroes," Haasan told the Quint.
Haasan accused Palaniswami and the AIADMK for doing nothing much to fight the menace of crime and corruption in the south Indian state.
