Kamal Haasan slams AIADMK, Dhinakaran over cash-for-vote row in RK Nagar bypoll
Actor Kamal Haasan statement against the alleged misuse of money power in the recently-held assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu’s prestigious RK Nagar.
Actor Kamal Haasan has hit out against the ruling AIADMK and rebel AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran for allegedly paying huge sums of money to buy votes in the recently-held assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu’s prestigious RK Nagar, days after his contemporary and superstar Rajinikanth made a grand entry into politics.
Haasan has come out with a strong statement against the alleged misuse of money power in a column in Tamil magazine, Ananda Vikatan.
“It’s a great embarrassment for Tamil Nadu politics and democracy. This is a victory which is purchased,” Haasan wrote.
“It’s sad that people are also part of this open crime of note for votes. It’s very saddening that RK Nagar people have sold their vote for a Rs 20 note,” Haasan said.
According to reports, a vote was allegedly bought for as high as Rs 6,000 and in some cases higher. They said that the Dhinakaran’s supporters had distributed Rs 20 notes to people, which could be redeemed for more cash. They added that the Rs 20 note would fetch Rs 10,000 from his supporters.
Dhinakaran, the nephew of jailed leader VK Sasikala, won the crucial bypoll by a thumping margin of over 40,000 votes. He defeated his nearest rival E Madhusudhanan of the ruling AIADMK by 40,707 votes in the assembly constituency in north Chennai.
The bypoll necessitated by the death of the AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa on December 5 last year was held on December 21 and the votes were counted on December 24.
Haasan was in a way first to declare his intent to enter politics and announced the launch of a mobile application “Maiyyam Whistle” to fight corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency on his 63rd birthday as a precursor to his political journey. The app, he has said, will be available from January after a beta testing stage.
Rajinikanth, however, stole the thunder with his New Year’s Eve announcement of entry into politics to ‘clean up the system’ and root out corruption for a clean and transparent government and rescue the state.
It was the same plank that Haasan wants to use to erect his own political career. But after the November 7 announcement, the actor fell silent and apparently got busy with his film commitments.