CHENNAI: BJP national secretary H. Raja’s controversial Facebook post on Periyar’s statue was an attempt to divert the attention of the people of Tamil Nadu from the constitution of Cauvery Management Board, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said here on Wednesday.
Addressing the press reporters at his Alwarpet office, Kamal said since the deadline for constituting the CMB was nearing "the (Union government) wanted to wash their hands off forming the CMB and…pass the crisis situation silently," he said.
To a query on whether the Periyar statue controversy was orchestrated by the BJP-led Union government, Kamal dismissed the notion and urged people to stick to Cauvery issue until it gets resolved.
Noting that people of Tamil Nadu will protect the prestige of Periyar, Kamal said the social reformer's stature was taller and it stands beyond vandalism. "Tamilians will take care of Periyar’s statues. It’s H Raja who needs police protection," he noted.
Stating that H Raja's “regret” for his Facebook post was not enough, Kamal demanded an apology from him. "I don't buy his lame excuse. (H Raja claimed that the remarks on his page Periyar was posted by his Facebook administrator). Taking action against him would be the right course of action by an honest party," he said.
On minister Jayakumar's comment that H Raja's statement did not warrant any legal action, Kamal said inaction is the character of state government.