My arrest will escalate tensions, warns Kamal

Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo said a report has been sought from the District Election Officer (DEO) on Kamal’s remarks, made at Aravakurichi in Karur.

With the actor being denied permission to campaign in Sulur in Coimbatore due to the ongoing controversy, he took to Twitter to canvass votes, saying “thanks to science.”

Kamal said the remarks made during the Aravakurichi Assembly segment bypoll campaign meet on Sunday were not for the first time, even as he asserted that “every religion has its own terrorist” and “this shows that all religions have their extremists.”

The actor-politician, who had filed an anticipatory bail plea after an FIR was registered in Aravakurichi in Karur district for his remarks, said he had made similar comments in Chennai during the Lok Sabha elections campaign, but it was being taken note of now by those people “whose confidence is dipping.”

“Let me tell you, terrorists abound in all religions. Around history, you can list many people from many religions.  So I was talking in that (sense). Every religion has its own terrorists and we cannot claim that we are sanctimonious and we have not done that. History shows you that all religions have their extremists,” he told reporters here, adding his

focus in Sunday’s campaign speech was on maintaining harmony.

Kamal was asked if he could have avoided mentioning Godse’s Hindu religion. The actor-politician said he stood firm on his remarks made on Sunday. He claimed there were no tensions after he made the remarks and alleged “tensions were created,” apparently by his detractors.

Asked if he had filed the anticipatory bail plea in the Madras High Court fearing arrest, he replied in the negative.

“I don’t fear arrest, but I have got campaigning to do. Let them arrest, but if they arrest me tensions will escalate. This is not my request, but an advice. Better not to do that,” he said. He also alleged that the media selectively edited his speech that day.