Published 13:33 IST, April 15th 2020
After opposing lockdown, Kamal Haasan questions 'balcony government' post Bandra fracas
After opposing the national lockdown, Kamal Haasan questioned the 'balcony government' post the Bandra fracas, where hundreds of migrant workers gathered.
After penning a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing the COVID-19 national lockdown, Kamal Haasan once again took on the government post chaotic scenes at Mumbai’s Bandra on Tuesday. The Makkal Needhi Maiam Chief seemed to take a dig at PM Modi, for urging citizens to gather at balconies and windows, in solidarity gestures against COVID-19, and used the term ‘balcony government.’ The veteran actor also urged the ‘balcony people’ to take a ‘long and hard look’ at the ground.
Haasan took to Twitter on Tuesday, hours after the fracas at Bandra railway station. Scores of people had gathered, allegedly believing news of trains that’ll allow them to head back to their hometowns, dismissing the importance of social distancing to curb COVID-19. The Indian 2 star wrote that the migrant crisis was a ‘time bomb’ that must be ‘defused’ before it became a 'bigger crisis than Corona.'
The 65-year-old added that the ‘balcony government’ must keep their eyes on what's happening on the ground.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the national lockdown till May 3, as the number of cases kept piling in the country. Hours after the address, the crowding of hundreds of migrant workers, became a huge political row, with many politicians sharing their take on it.
When India was in the 21-day lockdown, and before the extension was announced, Kamal Haasan had written an open letter to the PM, questioning the lockdown, comparing it to demonetisation, while highlighting the trouble for the economically weaker section. The veteran had also questioned the handling of COVID-19 by the government, lighting of diyas as a solidarity gesture, and announcing the lockdown only four hours before it kicked in.
Updated 13:33 IST, April 15th 2020