Jails will fall short if people are arrested for speaking truth: Kamal Haasan

Under attack from all quarters for his 'Hindu-terror' remark, actor Kamal Haasan on Sunday said jails would fall short, if people are arrested for speaking the truth.

"Terrorism is different from extremism. I don't preach my ideology to others. I am a rationalist. If you keep putting people who speak the truth behind bars then the number of jails will not be enough to keep them," Haasan said.

The actor also cleared the air about speculations over his joining politics.

"People say I will announce my party's name. For naming a child we must have one first. Should I still say if I'll enter politics?" he asked.

Hassan came under fire after, in a column in a Tamil magazine, he alleged that Hindu groups can no longer deny prevalence of extremism in their ranks.

"In the past, Hindu right-wing groups would not indulge in violence, but they would hold a dialogue with the opposite parties on their arguments. But this old tactic was defeated and what they stated to do is use muscle power. They started indulging in violence," the actor wrote.

"The right wing cannot challenge talk of Hindu terrorists because terror has spread into their camp as well," Haasan alleged.

Haasan's remark drew flak from various quarters, especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).