Actor Kamal Haasan moves HC over Mahabharata comments case

Superstar Kamal Haasan today moved the Madras High Court for quashing of a complaint in a lower court seeking his prosecution for allegedly making insulting remarks against Hindu epic Mahabharata.
A magisterial court of Valliyoor in Tirunelveli district had last month directed Haasan to appear before it on May 5 on the complaint filed by a local trader over his remarks made during a TV interview.
In his petition, the actor submitted he was only replying to a question asked by the interviewer regarding oppression of women and increasing sexual assaults on them, including the film actresses. It was a discussion and he did not mean to hurt any person or his religious feelings, he said.

The actor added a case had also been filed against him in Kumbakonam over the same issue.
The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.
Magistrate Senthil Kumar had on April 21 also ordered the police to investigate the matter and file a report at the earliest on the petition filed by President of Anjugramam Traders Association Athinatha Sundaram.

Haasan said the complaint against him had been filed with an oblique motive and he did not mean to offend any one. His statement should be understood in the true light of understanding, he said adding the magistrate had issued the summons mechanically.

The petition to the lower court has alleged that the actor, in response to a question from the interviewer about the crimes against women, particularly in the film industry, had said the people in this country read even the epic Mahabharata, wherein a woman was staked in a game of dice.
"Is there anything more disgusting than oppressing a woman. On one side, we boast that we are a developed society and on the other side, women are being dominated in the name of pride. It seems like we haven't moved on from the 'Game of Dice' incident of Mahabharatham," he had said.

Hassan was referring to Pandava brothers staking their wife Draupadi in a gamble with their cousins and arch enemies, the Kauravas.
Sundaram had said the actor's remarks had hurt the sentiments of Hindus and demanded maximum punishment for him.