Walking in Bharat Jodo Yatra, Tweeting against Hindi Imposition: Will Kamal Haasan Join DMK-Congress Cast?

On December 24, along with around 300 party cadres, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Bharat Jodo Yatra in New Delhi after accepting the Wayanad MP’s invite. He also remarked that many advised him not to attend the event as it would hurt his political career. The Makkal Needhi Maiam leader further added that he joined to try to unite India instead of dividing it.

Kamal Haasan stated that the yatra raises its voice against unemployment, price rise, China’s intrusions into India, and the hatred being fostered throughout the country rather than having any political objectives. His speech at Red Fort is being seen as the MNM getting closer to joining the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

According to sources close to Kamal Haasan, recent developments might be considered as a prelude to an alliance in 2024 as the party’s political stance and the ideology of the Congress are fairly compatible. Additionally, he recently spoke with the party’s second-line officeholders on how to bolster and revitalise the MNM, including decisions like one significant public event to be held each month until the Lok Sabha elections.

As per one of the party leaders, Kamal Haasan’s participation in the BJY also suggests that there won’t be as many competing alliances in the Lok Sabha elections as there were in the assembly polls in 2021, where the Makkal Needhi Maiam, TTV Dhinakaran’s Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam, Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi, and the regional heavyweights Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) contested against each other.

Last week, when Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas alleged that the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language violated Section 4(iii) of the Official Language Act and also objected to the use of Hindi as a medium of instruction in central universities and questioned whether if Sundar Pichai would have been in charge of Google if he had to take his IIT examinations in Hindi. Retweeting the MP’s post, Kamal wrote in Tamil, “Kerala is also reflecting the same, and it is speaking for half of India. Warning, Pongal (Tamil New Year) is approaching. Oh Sorry!, ‘Jaagte Raho’ for your understanding.”

According to political observers, the MNM chief is taking a step closer to the DMK-led alliance. This is not the first time since Kamal Haasan in 2018 expressed the wish to join hands with the Congress. Eight months after commencing his party in the same year, Kamal Haasan said his Makkal Needhi Maiam would be open to forming an alliance with the Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections if the Congress terminates its relations with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). Eventually, during the assembly elections in 2021, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram suggested that the MNM join the DMK -Congress alliance.

In 2014, Kamal Haasan once said that a dhoti-wearing Tamil should become the Prime Minister of India (hinting towards Congress’s P Chidambaram). Furthermore, that the actor, in his films, has featured Mahatma Gandhi, and his ideology, is noteworthy.

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