BJP Demands Apology from Kamal Haasan for ‘Sanatana’ Remarks
Actor-politician's comments on education and NEET spark a political row, drawing parallels to a past controversy involving the DMK.
- The Tamil Nadu BJP has demanded an apology from Kamal Haasan for his remarks on Sanatana Dharma.
- Haasan said that “only education can crush the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan” at an event on Sunday.
- His comments were part of a broader critique of the NEET exam, which he says unfairly impacts poor and rural students.
GG News Bureau
Chennai, 5th Aug: Actor-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan is facing a sharp political attack from the Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP, which is demanding an unconditional apology for his recent remarks on Sanatana Dharma.
Speaking at the 15th-anniversary event of actor Suriya’s Agaram Foundation on Sunday, Mr. Haasan had stated, “Only education is the weapon that can crush the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan.” His comments were made in the context of his long-standing criticism of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which he argued has denied many deserving students from poor and rural backgrounds in Tamil Nadu access to medical education.
BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy swiftly condemned the remarks, accusing Mr. Haasan of being “blinded by money and power” and forgetting his own family’s Sanatana roots. “What he has said is not just against Sanatana Dharma, but against India and the majority of its people,” Thirupathy said, insisting that the MNM chief must apologize. Other BJP leaders, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, have also criticized Haasan, accusing him of attempting to create societal divisions.
The controversy draws parallels to the 2023 political firestorm involving Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who had also made critical comments on Sanatana Dharma, leading to multiple FIRs being filed against him. In Tamil Nadu, Sanatana Dharma is often perceived as a symbol of historical caste-based discrimination, which denied education and other opportunities to oppressed communities.
While the BJP maintains that NEET ensures transparency and meritocracy, opposition to the exam is widespread in the state. Even the BJP’s ally, the AIADMK, and the ruling DMK party oppose NEET, arguing that it unfairly favors affluent students who can afford expensive private coaching. The state had previously abolished entrance tests for medical admissions, basing them solely on Class XII marks.
As the political heat intensifies, Kamal Haasan and his party have yet to issue a formal response or an apology, while parties like the DMK and Congress have come out in support of his stance on the NEET exam.
