Chennai: Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Wednesday demanded that BJP leader H Raja apologise for his comments on Periyar and wondered whether the controversy was stoked only to divert attention from the sensitive Cauvery issue.
Kamal, addressing a press conference here, also said Periyar's statues in Tamil Nadu don't need any security since people of the state will protect him just as they propagate his ideals.
"Periyar is too tall a leader to be destructed by such petty talks and vandalism. Police must protect those who speak against Periyar. They may require the protection, not Periyar himself," he told reporters.
Rejecting Raja's statement expressing regret for his Facebook post, Kamal demanded an apology from the leader and said he expected the BJP to expel him from the party for his activities.
"Raja said he regretted the statement. He needs to tender a proper apology. We will then see if we can accept it. He may have retracted his statement, but the damage has been done. A decent thing the BJP can do is to expel Raja," Kamal said.
Since the controversy came at a time when there were strong demands in the state urging the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CMB), as per Supreme Court guidelines, one cannot help but wonder whether this was planned only to divert attention.
Sked about intolerance, Kamal said he had a different view on the issue around intolerance. "Don't tolerate Hindus and Muslims, accept them as they are and we will have amity. When you tolerate, it becomes a headache. That is my view," he said.
