The Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha on Friday said actor Kamal Haasan and “the likes of him should be shot dead”, The Times of India reported on Saturday. The statement was a response to Haasan’s column in a Tamil magazine, in which he alleged that the Hindu right wing had started resorting to violence and terrorism.
A day later, a defamation case was registered against him in Varanasi.
“Kamal Haasan and the likes of him should either be shot dead or hanged so that they learn a lesson,” Ashok Sharma, the national vice president of the Mahasabha, told The Times of India. “Anyone who uses abusive language for people belonging to the Hindu faith does not have the right to live in this holy land, and they should get death in return of their remarks.”
In a column for Tamil weekly magazine Ananda Vikatan, Haasan wrote that while earlier, “the Hindu right wing would not indulge in violence, but instead held debates”, it now “used muscle power instead of dialogue” once the old tactic failed.
Another leader of the Hindu Mahasabha has called for a boycott of all films starring the actor and his family members.
“All party members have pledged that they will boycott all movies that star him and his family members,” said Abhishek Agarwal, president of the outfit’s Meerut unit. “In fact, all Indians should pledge the same. People who insult Hindus and the religion should not be forgiven.”
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