Education alone can break 'chain of Sanatan', says Kamal Haasan
Chennai, Aug 4 (PTI): Stoking a controversy, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan has said that education is the only weapon that could break the chains of autocracy and the Sanatan Dharma.
His comment on "chain of Sanatan", was strongly condemned by the Tamil Nadu BJP.
Addressing an event here, the Rajya Sabha MP said the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test (NEET) has prevented access to medical education for so many children and the strength to change that rule of exam could emerge only from education.
Haasan, who days ago assumed office as a Rajya Sabha MP was addressing an event on Sunday, held by Agaram Foundation of noted Tamil actor Suriya.
Actor Suriya was present on the dais when Haasan made the remark.
Haasan said, in this war against NEET, even Aagaram Foundation cannot do anything and education alone could mould the nation without any other weapon.
"This is the only weapon that can break the chains of autocracy and Sanatana (Dharma)," he said.
Furthermore, he said: "Do not lay your hands on anything else, because you cannot win; because the majority will defeat you, the majority fools will defeat you and wisdom (knowledge) will lose."
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan alleged Haasan has insulted Hindu sentiments and condemned his remark.
She wondered why he negatively mentioned about Sanatan while he was speaking about education and its importance, which was well-known and being stressed by leaders since pre-independence period.
Haasan would not appreciate measures such as the introduction of NEP (National Education Policy) by the Centre to develop the nation by further improving education.
Lashing out at Haasan as "more loyal" to Chief Minister M K Stalin than even the DMK functionaries themselves, Soundararajan said the actor-turned politician would make any comment that would make the chief minister happy.
Recently, Haasan raised the issue of "language", which led to problems, she said apparently referring to the actor-politician's "Kannada was born from Tamil", remark that led to a huge controversy in Karnataka.
"Now, he (Haasan) wants to divide the people in the name of religion," the former Telangana Governor told PTI Videos.
Now that Haasan is a Rajya Sabha MP, he should be more responsible. However, it has become fashionable to insult Hindu sentiments in Tamil Nadu.
BJP Tamil Nadu unit Vice President Khushbu Sundar condemned Haasan's remark as unwarranted and "absolutely uncalled for."
Haasan could have confined himself to stressing on the importance of education, and "we all agree that education is the biggest weapon."
As regards the NEET, she said it was introduced in 2013 even before the BJP came to power at the Centre.
The medical entrance test was not for Tamil Nadu alone, but for the whole country. Also, when all other states do not have a problem with NEET and when students and parents in Tamil Nadu do not have a problem, why they (parties in the state) are making it political? she asked.
In 2023, DMK leader and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's comment linking Sanatan Dharma to dengue and malaria led to a huge controversy and petitions were filed against him in courts.
Education is the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatan. We must focus solely on education, as it is the only key to confounding the Sanatan. That is why we must embrace education – Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Kamal Haasan. pic.twitter.com/vWmL36f7ND
— முனைவர். கணேசு ガネス (@DrGanesh_Japan) August 4, 2025
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
