Don’t support ban on Jallikattu or PETA: Kamal Haasan

Haasan had on Monday too had taken to his Twitter page to condemn the crackdown on protesters at Marina beach

A day after Tamil Nadu witnessed violence, vandalism and arson over Jallikattu, actor Kamal Haasan said that he was against all kinds of bans and asked people not to ask for a ban on or abuse organisations such as PETA. Addressing the press, Haasan sought an explanation to police violence witnessed on Monday. "I do hope that they were not real policemen. I was too shocked looking at the violence in Chennai on Monday as well as the police action. No law and justice system is infallible. We have corrected many laws in the country. I hope that some explanation is given," he said.

Haasan had on Monday too had taken to his Twitter page to condemn the crackdown on protesters at Marina beach. He even posted a video of policemen indulging in vandalism seeking an explanation for the same. "I do not endorse any kind of ban. Do not ban but regulate Jallikattu. Bulls are taken care of well. More people die in accidents than in Jallikattu. Does that mean we ban vehicles? Double standards on animal rights has to stop," he added.

Kamal Haasan likened the Jallikattu protests to Anti-Hindi agitations that Tamil Nadu witnessed decades ago. "We knew Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru Ji spoke in Hindi. But the protest was on pressing the language on us and making us illiterate, it was about us losing government jobs. It was a series of events," he said. The actor spoke about how he had to sneak out of the house to take part in the protests then but this time around the scenario had changed. "We were the early agitators against the anti-Jallikattu law and the protests were a symbol of discontent. Parents supported their children's protest this time around simply because they knew that the case was genuine. I do not colour myself as a man of any political party but will take on the colour of the movement," he added.

"Tamil Pride is not Anti-national"

Asked about the protests turning Anti-national and anti-social in nature, the actor asked if that was the way to look at it. "Several of our leaders in the past have asked for a separate country for Tamil Nadu. Were they anti-national? We have to clarify and address those sentiments of secessionism today at the ground. Engage with them."

The actor took a dig at the current politicians in Tamil Nadu and claimed that leaders like MGR would have treated the situation differently. "Had M G Ramachandran been the Chief Minister, he would have come to Marina," he said.

OneIndia News