Kamal Hassan slams PM Modi govt's GST, notes ban move, denies funding by Christian missionaries

Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Hasan on Sunday criticised the Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill and the notes ban move of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the center. 

The veteran Tamil actor, while addressing a press conference echoed similar sentiments as Congress president Rahul Gandhi that ''demonetisation should not have been implemented.''

"I would somehow support this (Rahul's statement)," Hassan said.

Hassan, who had recently launched his new political outfit ''Makkal Needhi Maiam'' (MNM) to bring about a ''qualitative change'' in the Tamil Nadu politics, made these remarks hours after Rahul Gandhi criticised the Centre's notes ban move.

"If I was the Prime Minister, and someone had given me a file with demonetisation written on it, I would have thrown it in the dustbin," Rahul Gandhi had said while a gathering of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia.

Rahul said that demonetisation was “not a good” initiative as it caused huge damage to the country's economy.

Taking everyone by surprise with his reply, Rahul said that he would not have rolled out demonetisation had he been in the government.

''If I was the Prime Minister, and someone had given me a file with demonetisation written on it, I would have thrown it in the dustbin," he said.

"...out through the door, and into the junkyard. That is what I think should be done with demonetisation," the young Congress chief said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8, 2016, announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes would cease to be legal tender.

The Congress party and most of the other opposition parties have been very critical of the Prime Minister's demonetisation move, saying it has caused huge damage to the Indian economy.

Rahul had in February said that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were making attempts to "capture" all institutions in the country.

The Congress president went on and said the idea of demonetisation neither came from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) nor Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. He claimed that it was the 'Sangh' that gave the idea of demonetisation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who then announced it on November 8, 2016.

However, contrary to what the critics said about the demonetisation move, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently rejected claims that the goods and services tax (GST) and demonetisation of old Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes have permanently slowed down the Indian economy.

These are just “short-term pain”, the IMF said.

Hassan further took the occasion to rebuff rumors of him being associated with the Christain missionaries and said, "They say I am funded by Christian missionaries. I can only laugh about it as it is not even a sensible argument".

He also dubbed the condition of women as despicable and shameful.

 "I visited so many houses in (Thekkady) Periyar and found so many incidents taking place against the women," Hassan said.

Kamal Hassan had recently floated his own political party named MNM to contest in the next state assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.

(With ANI inputs)