MID-DAY (July 20, 2017)

The Bharatiya Janata Party took a dig at actor Kamal Haasan yesterday, for tweeting about his possible entry into politics. The party questioned why the celebrity, who hasn’t done any “service to the people,” has had a “sudden awakening” to enter the field.

The party’s state unit president, Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that actors should reflect upon how much they have contributed to the society before considering a career in politics. “Without doing any service to people and society, why this sudden awakening for Kamal Hassan? (sic),” she asked.

The BJP leader said that unlike superstar Rajinikanth, who has spoken up about various issues concerning people, Haasan hasn’t expressed any social concerns. “Politics is not cinema, where one can become the chief minister in a day,” she said.

Hassan had taken to Twitter on Tuesday to post a series of Tamil lines, which hinted at his possible entry into politics. “It is wrong [to] chase them as fools. The paths which are not searched will not be seen. Come with me friend, one who attempts to avoid fanaticism/superstition is a leader,” one tweet translated to.