On Wednesday, actor Kamal Haasan is set to launch his own political party, kicking off the event with a state-wide tour in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. “The party flag will be hoisted in the evening in Madurai when the idea behind the flag will be detailed,” On Tuesday he told reporters in Madurai.
Here are the live updates:
8:50 am: “Greatness can come from the simplest of houses and this is one of them. I am touched,” says Kamal Haasan after visiting APJ Abdul Kalam’s house and meeting his brother and sister-in-law in Rameswaram.
8:39 am: Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal attended the launch event.
8:35 am: He cancelled his visit to a school where Kalam studied after the local administration reportedly denied him permission to visit it.
8:30 am: Kamal Haasan visited APJ Abdul Kalam’s house in Rameswaram, interacted with his family members.
9:45 am: “Previous governments made promises to fishermen but did not live up to them. They divert the issue when confronted,” Haasan says.
10:00 am: Haasan’s entry into politics coincided with that of fellow Tamil actor and friend Rajinikanth, giving rise to speculation over whether they would join forces. But Haasan seemed to effectively rule out a tie-up with Rajinikanth last week, saying that the latter has a hue of saffron in his politics
10:20 am: Haasan drove to Madurai and stopped at few places to address meetings as per his schedule and his day will culminate in a rally in the temple town.
10:30 am: Madurai was all decked up to receive the superstar and his fans had descended upon the town from different parts of the state.
11:00 am: “Kalam came from a humble background and I went there intentionally. There was no political symbolism there. It was a great feeling. I wanted to visit his school as well but they stopped me. They, however, cannot stop me from learning lessons. I will be speaking about my manifesto and party politics at length there (in Madurai),” said Haasan.
11:20 am: “Last night, I spoke with Chandra Babu Naidu and he explained how more than ideals, it is important to understand what people need and put a list of things that you can do for them. What he said struck a chord with me. He is an inspiration for me,” the actor added.
11:30 am: “So far, I lived in the hearts of Tamil fans, now I want to live in their homes. There are more responsibilities in politics than cinema,” Kamal Haasan said.
11:45 am: Haasan left for Paramakudi, his birthplace. From there, he proceeded to Madurai.
1:15 pm: Haasan earlier visited several senior political leaders and well-wishers from various political parties, including the CPI(M), in the run-up to his entry into politics. He also called on political personalities such as DMDK leader Vijayakanth, DMK chief M Karunanidhi and Naam Tamilar Katchi president Seeman to seek their blessings.
1:40 pm: Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said, “I think the prospects for Kamal Haasan’s party is very marginal. I don’t think there is much space left by these two dominant regional forces”.
