NEW DELHI: Renowned filmmaker and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan made his Parliament debut as he took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on Friday. His election to the Upper House marks a significant milestone in his political journey.
The 69-year-old actor turned politician found MNM in 2018. He was nominated with the support of the ruling DMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. He was promised a Rajya Sabha seat in return for MNM's support during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Hassan was given a desk-thumping welcome by fellow Parliamentarians as he read the oath in Tamil.
Later in the afternoon, the MNM founder released a heartfelt note addressing the people of the country and his state, Tamil Nadu in which Hassan shared thoughts on the ideology of his party, self-commitments and expressed gratitude towards people who had supported him.
The actor, who is widely loved for multiple memorable performances, stated that he had sworn to uphold the Constitution of India, not as a ritual of formality but as a solemn promise to serve it spirit with “fidelity, courage and conscience.
“I do not arrive in parliament as a mere critic but as a committed contributor to the idea of India. Where I must oppose, I will do so with reason. Where I must support, I will do so with conviction. And where I must advise, I will do so constructively - not to score points, but to build consensus,” he wrote.
Hassan said that he spoke centrism; not as a compromise but as a conviction. “Centrism, the political ideology of MNM, is the art of balance, of embracing equality and efficiency, liberty and fraternity, tradition and progress. It is a philosophy rooted not in hesitation, but in harmony. In times when polarisation threatens to erode dialogue, the centre must hold—not stand still but to move forward together,” his note, posted on ‘X’, read.
On June 12, Haasan and five others were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. The five others elected are DMK’s Poet Salma (A Rokkaiah Malik), SR Sivalingam, P Wilson (who enters his second term), and AIADMK’s IS Inbadurai and Dhanapal.
In a separate post on ‘X’ in Tamil, Hassan conveyed his gratitude towards Tamil Nadu chief minister and president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MK Stalin and wished him a speedy recovery. “At this moment, I am deeply grateful to the Honorable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, my dear friend Mr. @mkstalin, the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, my cherished younger brother Mr. @Udhaystalin , the leaders of the alliance parties led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the members of the Makkal Needhi Maiam. The news that my dear friend Mr. Stalin, who is undergoing treatment in the hospital, will soon recover fully and return home brings me immense joy. On this day, I wholeheartedly wish him good health and great successes forever,” the post states.