Kamal Hassan: Haven't gone to Sabarimala, can't comment on it

Chennai: Actor-politician Kamal Hassan on Saturday refused to be drawn into the Sabarimala controversy, saying it would not be proper for him to voice his opinion as he had not visited the temple.

“I have gone to other temples but not to Sabarimala; so it won’t be proper to seek an opinion from me on this matter. I will stay in the centre and say about things good for the nation, for the women. I don’t understand the (Ayyappa) devotees’ stand. So it is better not to interfere in that,” the self-declared rationalist told reporters at the airport here.

When asked about the Supreme Court verdict not being respected by Kerala in the Sabarimala case and by Karnataka in the Cauvery dispute, Ka-mal shot back saying, "We cannot say Kerala (government) is not respecting. It is a different matter if people don't respect it (SC verdict)", said the Makkal Needhi Maiam founder-president.

"In Karnataka, the government is not respecting (SC order on Cauvery) and in this case people are not respecting. There is a difference between the two," Kamal Hassan said.

When a reporter asked him about reports that his MNM would team up with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls next year, he said it was "too early" to talk about alliances. As for his meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi recently, Kamal Hassan said alliance prospects were not discussed by them. Internal discussions were going on in the party about strategy for the parliament poll, he added.