Actor-turned-politician and president of Makkal Needhi Maiam Kamal Haasan has landed in trouble on Wednesday, exactly one day after the Tamil Nadu assembly polls, as he has been accused of trying to hit a reporter with his cane in Coimbatore when the latter videographed him. 

Kamal Haasan is contesting from the Coimbatore South constituency in the assembly poll, which is his first election to contest since he launched the political party. According to reports, a reporter from a Tamil news channel was video graphing Kamal Haasan when he arrived at a polling station in Coimbatore South on Wednesday. It has been reported that the veteran actor has tried to attack the reporter with his walking stick to obstruct him from taking video. 

A picture of Kamal Haasan raising his walking stick has gone viral. However, it didn't feature the reporter. The incident that the actor tried to hit the reporter has caught major attention with several journalists and political leaders have slammed the actor and demanded him to issue an apology. The Coimbatore Press Club has on Wednesday condemned Kamal Haasan for allegedly trying to hit the reporter when he arrived at the Government College of Technology, which was a polling station. 

The press club said that the reporter was video graphing the actor on his arrival. However, Kamal Haasan had obstructed the reporter from taking the video and he further tried to hit the reporter with his walking stick. 

Taking to social media, the Coimbatore Press Club said, "Though the reporter was luckily not injured, it would have been worse if the edge of the stick hit his neck by chance." By citing that Kamal's conduct had shocked the journalists, the press club said that his action is a reflection of authoritarianism and added that the actor will have to face the legal consequences. 

The club had further demanded that the actor must place an open apology and if he fails to produce his apology, the club said that it will take legal action against him. The incident had drawn massive flak towards the actor and DMK's leader in Coimbatore N Karthik said, "On behalf of the Coimbatore East DMK, I strongly condemn Kamal Haasan's actions towards the journalist who must be free and independent while collecting news." He also had demanded the actor to issue an apology.

It must be noted that the actor is using the walking stick after he had surgery on his leg and the reports say that Kamal Haasan didn't like being videographed post which he tried to obstruct the reporter. Though his action had stirred controversy, Kamal's Makkal Needhi Maiam is yet to respond to the allegations. The opposition parties took up the issue and slammed the actor. BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan, who contested in Coimbatore South to take on Kamal Haasan, took to Twitter and said, "I came to know that Kamal Haasan has attacked reporter Mohan at the GCT College in Coimbatore this morning. This is worrisome". 

இன்று காலை கோவை ஜிசிடி கல்லூரி வளாகத்தில் திரு கமலஹாசன் அவர்கள் சன் நியூஸ் பத்திரிக்கையாளர் திரு மோகன் அவர்களை தனது கைத்தடியால் தாக்கியதாக கேள்விப்பட்டேன். இது மிகவும் வருத்தத்தை அளிக்கின்றது.

— Vanathi Srinivasan (@VanathiBJP) April 7, 2021