Smart Kamal scores points on big day

Chennai: On Wednesday, when several politicians were heading to Tuticorin to visit those injured in the police firing on Sterlite protesters on Tuesday, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan emerged smarter among the lot.

He not only called on the injured undergoing treatment in the Tuticorin government hospital on Wednesday morning, but also managed to make his presence felt at the swearing-in ceremony of H D

Kumaraswamy

of the JD(S) as the chief minister of Karnataka in Bengaluru in the evening. DMK working president M K Stalin decided to give the Bengaluru event a miss to concentrate on Tuticorin turmoil. He was one of the first to confirm participation.

Given the current political scenario in the country, with regional parties trying to come together on a common anti-BJP plank, and the split verdict in Karnataka that pitchforked the JD(S) to the front to lead the new government, the swearing-in ceremony was seen as the best opportunity to close ranks for the aspirants.

Kamal Haasan managed to use his time fruitfully as he was one of the first to talk about southern conglomeration with Dravidanism as a common line, much before he even launched his Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in February this year. Not only did Haasan dash off to Bengaluru from Tuticorin, but also made his presence felt in the company of national and regional leaders that included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, Akilesh Yadav, Sitaram Yechury and Chandrababu Naidu, besides the Gowdas and Siddharamaiahs of Karnataka.

Later in a tweet, Kamal Haasan thanked chief minister Kumaraswamy for inviting him and said: “It’s a good starting point for a dialogue between our states.” “It was also a platform for a healthy exchange of views with all other party leaders. Curious to see what follows.”