Taking cash for vote will bring thief as leader: Kamal Haasan

Raising his voice against voters accepting money for vote, film star Kamal Haasan on Friday said if a citizen accepts money for this purpose “you will only get a thief as your leader.

“I am not bothered who is or which party is giving (money), but should not the one accepting (it) be ashamed,” he told a Tamil TV channel here.

One would forfeit the locus standi to question a minister for non-performance or accuse a politician of corruption as accepting cash for vote itself is a similar act, he said.

“If you accept (money) then you will only get a thief as a leader,” he said responding to a question on voters being lured with money during elections.

Haasan said people should have a sense of “my house, my country” and added that politicians who give money will not address concerns of the people who accept it.

“You don’t accept (money), then you can question the politicians,” he said.