Kamal Haasan at Agaram Foundation event amid row over remarks on Sanatana Dharma (ANI)
BJP leaders and Hindu organisations are sharply condemning Kamal Haasan, the actor-turned-MP of Rajya Sabha, following his remarks at the event celebrating the 15th anniversary of actor Suriya’s Agaram Foundation, which was held in Chennai. State BJP Secretary Amar Prasad Reddy posted a clip-on X calling for the complete boycott of Haasan's movies in theatres and OTT platforms, saying that his comments on "destroying Sanatana Dharma" were offensive to Hindus.
Reddy wrote, “Speak against Sanatana Dharma and face the consequences,” invoking Hindus to “teach a lesson” to the people making such statements. BJP leaders Tamilisai Soundararajan and VHP national general secretary Surendra Jain also condemned Haasan, accusing him of working against Hindu society.
The controversy began with Kamal Haasan, founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), stating the power of education for transformation at the Agaram Foundation event. He urged students to work for change through education and not through violence, saying, “Only education has the power to change the nation.
It’s the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatana. Do not take any other weapon in your hands. Because you will be defeated by majoritarianism; ignorant majoritarians will defeat you.” Since Haasan did not directly mention Hinduism in his speech, the criticisms of him have been construed by some to mean an assault on Hindu conventions.
This is not the first time Haasan has landed in controversies political. He stirred up anger in Kannada groups before the release of his recently finished feature Thug Life with statements regarding “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” thus temporarily putting on hold the release of the film in Karnataka.
The Supreme Court later revoked this ban after he refused to apologize. Now, the sustained attacks from BJP leaders and Hindu groups are finding their way into heated discussions about freedom of speech, religion and cultural identity in Tamil Nadu and beyond.
The backlash brings to the fore growing tensions between cultural expression and political sensitivity. While while Haasan views his words as a call for empowerment through education, his opponents consider them evidence of a 'great conspiracy' against Hinduism. With calls for boycott growing ever louder, it remains a question whether this latest storm will actually affect his filmdom, his political standing, or both.
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