Lakshadweep row: Kamal Haasan sees communal angle in Admin Praful Khoda Patel's decisions

Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president Kamal Haasan jumped into the Lakshadweep row & urged the Centre to 'stop the activities' that were disturbing the 'peace of the people.' The actor-turned-politician joins the chorus against Lakshadweep's Administrator Praful Khoda Patel over his decisions including the altering of the COVID SOPs leading to a surge in the number of cases, ban on the beef industry, lifting of the ban on alcohol consumption and so on. Issuing a statement on Thursday, Kamal Haasan claimed that anti-citizen laws passed by Administrator Praful Khoda Patel had allegedly created unrest among the people of Lakshwadeep and claimed that the decisions it targeted Muslims. The MNM founder urged the Centre to intervene in the matter swiftly & take appropriate action to restore peace in the UT. 

Kamal Haasan enters Lakshadweep row, urges Centre's intervention

('The Central Government should take appropriate steps to immediately stop the activities that are disturbing the peace of the people of Lakshadweep,' Kamal Haasan wrote on Twitter)

Kamal Haasan says, 'There has been unrest since the day Mr. Praful Patel took over as the Administrator of Lakshadweep. The reason for this is that the newly passed bills are anti-people laws, especially against Muslims. Indigenous people and minorities have been fighting hard because the LDA bill could seize aboriginal lands, and the PASA Act is a repressive law that silences the voices of those fighting for their rights.'

'The announcement that non-vegetarian food will not be included in the diet is intentional. There is fear over whether there will be government intervention in beef consumption in the state. The fear is justified. Villagers with more than two children cannot contest the panchayat election. The bill is also anti-democratic,' Kamal Haasan offers in his analysis.

'Mr Praful Patel's administration has not yielded any fruit in preventing COVID. The new legal framework is aimed at destroying the beauty, environment and rights of the people of Lakshadweep. The Central Government should take appropriate steps to immediately stop the activities that are disturbing the peace of the people of Lakshadweep,' he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin claimed that Administrator Praful Khoda Patel was 'forcibly' imposing anti-citizen laws on the people of Lakshadweep and claimed that there was an attempt being made to alienate the Muslims living in the UT. The DMK supremo urged PM Modi to intervene and re-call Praful Khoda Patel as Lakshadweep's Administrator. 

Lakshadweep BJP chief says 'people's concern genuine'

In a jolt to the saffron party, BJP's Lakshadweep unit president Mohammad Kasim has backed the local protests in the island against the new regulations, saying the party will work towards removing them. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Kasim said that the concerns against the new rules were genuine and that he had written to both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah regarding it. 

“Some of the new regulations are distressing for the citizens of Lakshadweep. If they are going to protest, we will be with them. We want to remove rules that are upsetting the citizens. If the new rules are not good for them, we will be working towards getting them removed. I have written to both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, about this,” said Kasim.

What are Praful Khoda Patel's 'objectionable' decisions?

1. Altering COVID SOPs leading to COVID case surge
2. Ban on the slaughter, transportation, buying and selling of beef products
3. Lifting the ban on alcohol consumption
4. Demolishing the sheds where fishermen stored nets and other equipment citing violation of the Coast Guard Act
5. A new Goonda Act
6. Mandating the use of Mangalore port instead of the Beypore port for freight transit 
7. Termination of  casual and contractual labourers' jobs in govt