CHENNAI: Expressing shock over videos of Chennai violence that showed police personnel allegedly indulging in vandalism and attacking Jallikattu agitators, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan on Tuesday said the government failed in handling the situation effectively.
Though he never made an appearance at Marina where thousands of demonstrators had gathered, Kamal Haasan was an influential voice in support of jallikattu. Addressing media here, a day after he tweeted the video of alleged police vandalism, Kamal said he hoped that those caught in the video were not real police personnel, but ‘actors’.
Instead of employing ‘aggressive force’ against the protesting youth, the government should have reached out and tried to convince them even if they were throwing bottles or stones, he said adding that former Chief Ministers like C Rajagopalachari and MG Ramachandran would have handled it differently.
Kamal, who had been raising his voice against the ban on jallikattu for the last 13 years, reiterated he was against any ban, be it in books, films or even PETA. Instead, there should only be regulation.
“More people die in automobile accidents. Does it mean we stop automobile racing? No law or justice system is infallible. We have corrected every law in the country including ‘Manu Neethi,” he added.
The actor also questioned the double standards of killing animals for beef but not allowing people to play with the bull and said an equipoise should be maintained.