VIRUDHUNAGAR: Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party leader, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan challenged the Dravidian parties to copy his idea of shutting down Tasmac shops similar to their action of copying his idea of 'salary to housewives', in a public meeting held at Aruppukottai on Wednesday night.
"While they mocked me when I made this promise, they have copied it now. I challenge them to announce that half of the tasmac shops would be closed as I did. Each of them have a liquor factory and exploits the public", he said, adding that what was the need for more number of tarmac shops than schools, pharmacies and ATMs.
He also said that it was baffling that the education sector was privatised while Tasmac is safely in the government's hands and that his party wanted to change that trend.
Taking a jibe at DMK for editing the advertisement of his party and adding their version to it, he said that they might 'eat from anybody's plate'.
Further, stating that the State is in need of a powerful representative to raise voice at the Centre against the unjust propositions made by them which might impact Tamil people, he yet again posed the question 'Do you want this thaadi (beard) or that thaadi?' meaning Prime Minister Modi, and said that he was not stating it in a disrespectful way.
Pointing at the free schemes announced, he said that the six free gas cylinders announced will only increase the state's debts.
Retaliating to comments about his travel in a helicopter, he said that he has been travelling with his own money and recalled the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami's helicopter trip during Gaja cyclone, which was with the public's money, he said. Earlier this evening, he campaigned at Aruppukottai for the party's candidate.