Vivek Oberoi calls Kamal Hassan out on his Hindu terrorist statement

Stirring up a controversy yet again, Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan described Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as independent India’s first terrorist. He further said that Godse, was a Hindu, and also the first terrorist of India. While addressing a rally in Karur, Hassan said, “I am not saying this because many Muslims are here. I am saying this in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue. The first terrorist in independent India is a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse,”. He added a rather baffling statement calling himself the “grandson” of Gandhi.

Vivek Oberoi, who was recently in the news for his upcoming Modi biopic, took to twitter and criticised Kamal Hassan for his derogatory comment in which he referred to the entire Hindu community as violence propagators.  Vivek Oberoi said, “Dear Kamal sir, you are a great artist. Just like art has no religion, terror has no religion either! You can say Ghodse was a terrorist, why would you specify ‘Hindu’? Is it because you were in a Muslim dominated area looking for votes? @ikamalhaasan”. In a very polite way, he further added that it was necessary to uphold the integrity of the nation and work towards uniting it further than dividing it on communal grounds. Vivek Oberoi has been vocal about his political views and has vehemently criticised the members of his film fraternity who have tried to spread the false narrative of “Hindu terror”. 

It is not the first time that Kamal Hassan has targeted the Hindu community. In 2017, Hassan had made a comment demeaning the Hindus as he said, “In the past Hindu right-wing groups would not indulge in violence, but they would hold a dialogue with the opposite parties on their arguments. But this old tactic was defeated and what they stated to do is use muscle power. They started indulging in violence” In this statement it is evident that Hassan refers to the Hindus as those who restore to violence.  While the MNM Chief establishes himself as a “proud Indian” who espouses equality in the nation, yet through his statement he portrayed an entire community as group of violent people.

It was not just Oberoi who came forward in giving a befitting reply to Hassan, President of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, Mahant Narendra Giri, joined Oberoi in the denunciation and suggested that Haasan gets treated while adding that Godse cannot be termed a terrorist. Furthermore, Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha also sought an apology from Kamal Hassan.

The wrong narrative of “Hindu Terror” has been propagated by the opposition to gain unwanted attention. This act of demeaning the Hindu community with derogatory labels would not help opposition secure a safe win in the Lok Sabha elections.