Actor turned politician Kamal Haasan has steadfastly been carrying out his election campaign for the upcoming assembly polls much ahead of the two Dravidian parties. When Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had kickstarted his campaign on Saturday, Kamal Haasan had done the first round of his campaign in the southern districts and was preparing for the second round.
Amid heated campaigns, the actor turned politician ran into a fresh tussle with the ruling ADMK party after claiming the political legacy of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and ADMK founder MG Ramachandran (MGR) While Kamal Haasan's statement had stirred controversy, the ruling ADMK took a jibe against the actor as the Chief Minister directly countered him by stating that only ADMK can claim the legacy of MGR.
The Chief Minister further flayed Kamal Haasan for spoiling the families through his movies and through hosting 'Bigg Boss' and Edappadi Palaniswami had accused the actor of using MGR's name for votes and he claimed that apart from ADMK, no one has a moral right to claim the legacy of one of the popular Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu. On Friday, the Chief Minister said that since both MGR and Jayalalithaa had no heirs, the ADMK supporters and people were their heirs.
However, both the parties are on the verge of disputes over claiming MGR's legacy, and on Sunday, Kamal Haasan has for yet another time reiterated his stand on claiming MGR's legacy and said that anyone who had ideals like the founder of ADMK could be his heir. The actor and politician has said, "We are MGR's extension" and during the campaign rally in Porur, Chennai, Kamal Haasan said, "Our first slogan is Naalai Namadey. We are not the ones making money by repeatedly taking MGR's name. We are taking the name of Gandhi as well as that of MGR, Periyar, and Ambedkar".
He stated that "We believe in all their good intentions that become our intentions. We have that compassion of MGR who wanted poor students to come to school and have food, so we are MGR's extension". Amid such developments, Kamal Haasan has on Monday unveiled the poll promises of his party and his promises have come when the Dravidian parties are still working out on their campaigns and election manifestos. He assured the people of implementing these promises if Makkal Needhi Maiam was elected to power in the upcoming assembly elections.
Unveiling his party's seven-point 'Governance and Economic Agenda', Kamal Haasan has assured payment to homemakers for their work at home, computer with high-speed internet to all households, and transformation of farmers to Agri-entrepreneurs. The actor turned politician also said people below the poverty line would be taken to the 'prosperity line'. He released the agenda on Monday in the presence of former IAS officer Santhosh Babu, who recently joined the Makkal Needhi Maiam.
Kamal Haasan said, "Homemakers will get their due recognition through payment for their work at home which till now has been unrecognized and unmonetized and the recognition would raise their dignity of working women". He said that the drive of payment to homemakers is definitely possible and highlighted that the state could be more prosperous if the corruption is avoided. The actor's party said that after coming to power, its government would take steps to realize the revolutionary poet Bharati's dream of women empowerment through education, employment, and opportunities towards entrepreneurship.
Highlighting 'Green plus revolution', which is one among the seven agendas, the party said farmers would be transformed into agriculture entrepreneurs. The party assured that the world-class infrastructural amenities like a cold chain from the level of villages, investments for value-added farming, and giving a fillip to organic farming as part of its agenda. One of the agendas of the party is 'online homes' and the agenda said its government would provide a computer along with high-speed internet through optical fiber cable to each and every home.
The plan could bring far-reaching transformation and the internet will be declared as a basic human right. Makkal Needhi Maiam said that the party would take the people below the poverty line, if elected to power, to the prosperity line. By promising the green channel government, the party said that all certificates and documents would be issued without the citizen applying for them and these shall be delivered to people on their smartphone.
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