Hitting back at actor Kamal Haasan for his comments on becoming a ‘neta’ (leader) by contesting the election if it is held within 100 days, Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar said on Monday that the actor should first become an MLA.
Citing the cases of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa, Mr. Jayakumar noted that both of them became an MLA and then served as Leader of the Opposition before becoming Chief Minister.
“He [Mr. Haasan] thinks it [politics] is cinema. Is the Chief Minister [post] a toy being sold in Moore Market? Even actor Sivaji Ganesan entered politics, but he could not even become an MLA,” Mr. Jayakumar pointed out.
“He should be among the people and not just on Twitter...He cannot become the Chief Minister merely by being on Twitter. Let him become an MLA first,” the Minister said.
In recent months, Mr. Haasan has been critical of the AIADMK government and has hinted about his entry into politics.