Mumbai: Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said the vandalism of Dravidian icon Periyar's statue in Tamil Nadu was to divert attention from pressing issues like Cauvery water sharing dispute with Karnataka.

At the IndiaToday Conclave 2018, Haasan, said he was not anti-BJP but anti everything, including extremism, that brings people hardships. "I am anti everything that goes wrong for the people. As for extremism, Hindu extremism exists, read the Tamil papers," he said.

He said the vandalism of Periyar's statue in Vellore was also an act of extremism and "a diversionary tactic to take people's attention away from more pressing issues such as sharing Cauvery water".

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Bengaluru (PTI): With large scale flight cancellations by Indigo airlines leaving passengers stranded, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday urged the Centre to act immediately and bring the situation under control.

He called the IndiGo fiasco a the direct result of the govt's monopoly model.

Taking to social media platform 'X', Shivakumar said India is witnessing the worst aviation meltdown in its history. "Thousands of flights cancelled - leaving our people stranded everywhere".

"The IndiGo fiasco is the direct result of the govt's monopoly model. And as always, it is ordinary Indians who are paying the price," he said.

Shivakumar said that the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, which is India's 3rd busiest airport with nearly 40 million travellers a year, is in complete chaos.

"This is hurting families, businesses and our national reputation. I urge the Union Government to act immediately and bring this situation under control. Our people deserve better," he added.

Domestic carrier IndiGo cancelled over 800 flights on Saturday, the fifth day of the ongoing crisis, even as the government imposed a cap on airfares and directed the airline to process all refunds by Sunday evening.