Kamal Haasan's tongue should be chopped off: TN Minister Rajendra Balaji

Kamal Haasan has been widely slammed for a speech made on Sunday in which he said that the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi 'was independent India's first terrorist and a Hindu.'

Chennai: In his attempt to slam Kamal Haasan for his recent remarks on Nathuram Godse, Tamil Nadu minister Rajendra Balaji said the actor-turned-politician's tongue should be chopped off.

Haasan has been widely slammed for a speech made on Sunday in which he said that the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi 'was independent India's first terrorist and a Hindu.' While BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and accused  Haasan of misusing religion for electoral gains, Balaji was more scathing in his attack. "Kamal Haasan's tongue should be chopped off. Everything he says now is getting him into trouble. In a locality where Hindus are lesser in number, he has gone and spoken about the first Hindu terrorist. But terror has no religion," said the AIADMK leader.

Haasan, the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam, had made the controversial remark at an election rally in Aravakurichi assembly constituency, which is scheduled to witness bypoll on May 19. "Independent India’s first terrorist was a Hindu. His name was Nathuram Godse. I’m not saying this because this is a locality with a sizeable Muslim population. I’m saying this in front of a Gandhi statue," he had said.

And while Haasan's comment has angered many, he found support in Congress with KS Alagiri saying he found nothing wrong in what had been said. "I support and agree with Kamal Haasan's statement not only 100%, but 1000%," he said while comparing RSS with Islamic State.