Asaduddin Owaisi joins Hindu terror debate, asks how Gandhi's killer can be called great

Backing actor-politician Kamal Haasan's "first terrorist was Hindu" remark, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday asked how Mahatma Gandhi's killer can be called great.

Jumping on the 'Hindu terror' bandwagon, Asaduddin Owaisi said Nathuram Godse was a terrorist and asked, "Who killed the father of the nation?"

Owaisi's remarks came a day after Kamal Haasan raked up a controversy over his comment that independent India's first "extremist was a Hindu"-- Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi.

Addressing an election campaign in Tamil Nadu's Aravakurichi, Haasan said he was one of those "proud Indians" who desires an India of equality and where the "three colours in the tricolour remained intact", in an obvious reference to different faiths.

"I am not saying this because this is a Muslim dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent India's first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it (extremism, apparently) starts," Kamal Haasan had said.

Haasan said he was a "self-assumed great-grandson" of Gandhi and that he had come here "seeking answers for that murder," referring to Gandhi's assassination in 1948.

Haasan's comments drew sharp reactions with the state BJP unit approaching the Election Commission seeking action against him for alleged "gross violation" of the Model Code of Conduct and in New Delhi, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying he does not understand the difference between an assassin and a terrorist.

The BJP had accused the Makkal Needhi Maiyam founder of indulging in "divisive politics" and following the Congress and Communists in showing Hindus "in a bad light to appease minorities".

Bhalaji, a senior AIADMK leader, also sought a ban on MNM for "sowing violence" and accused Haasan of "acting" to garner minority votes.

However, Haasan found support from the Congress and Dravidar Kazhagam.
TNCC President K S Alagiri said he concurred with Haasan "1000 per cent", while DK chief K Veeramani said Godse trained with RSS.