MNM Chief Kamal Haasan referred to the common expression ‘Nero fiddled while Rome was burning’ to explain PM Modi’s response to farmers’ protests.
Kamal Haasan, the actor-turned-politician and chief of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), on the occasion of inducting former IAS officer Santosh Babu in his party, also took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The renowned actor, while reportedly answering a question regarding the ongoing farmers’ protests, referred to the common expression ‘Nero fiddled while Rome was burning’ to explain PM Modi’s response. PM Modi had attended Dev Deepavali function held in Varanasi while agitating farmers surrounded the national capital.
“You can’t play the violin now when Rome is aflame,” said Mr Haasan, adding, “All he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) has to do is pan and look at the farmers. You must have a dialogue.”
Kamal Haasan, in the press conference, officially welcomed the former bureaucrat to the party and mentioned that Santosh Babu considered his offer for six months before deciding to join MNM. The former IAS officer, explaining his stand, said he had received an offer from the Prime Minister’s office to become the Chief Executive Officer of the MyGov platform, meant for citizen engagement. However, he refused the offer as he was keen on developing internet connectivity in Tamil Nadu through the Bharatnet project and other projects.
The 1995-batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer, who was known for his integrity, admitted that he applied for VRS after problems arose in the Rs 2000-crore BharatNet project, which was floated by the Tamil Nadu Fiber Net Corporation (TANFINET) when he was Principal Secretary to the government in the Department of Information Technology, the News Minute reported.
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