While addressing an Election Campaign in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan said that free India's first "terrorist was a Hindu, and his name was Nathuram Godse" — who killed Mahatma Gandhi.
The actor-politician asserted that he was one of those "proud Indians" who looks forward to an India with equality and where the "three colours" in the tricolour, an obvious reference to different faiths, "remained intact." "I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Free India's first terrorist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (terrorism, apparently) starts," he said.
He then said that he had come to Aravakurichi "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948. "Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that" he added.
Back in November 2017 too, Haasan had taken potshots at what he termed as "Hindu extremism," which invited condemnation from the BJP and Hindu outfits.
Aravakurichi is one of the four Assembly constituencies where by-polls are scheduled on 19th May. MNM has fielded S Mohanraj from this segment.