Lashing out at Haasan as “more loyal” to chief minister M.K. Stalin than even the DMK functionaries themselves, Soundararajan said the actor-turned politician would make any comment that would make the chief minister happy.

Recently, Haasan raised the issue of “language”, which led to problems, she said apparently referring to the actor-politician’s “Kannada was born from Tamil” remark that led to a huge controversy in Karnataka.

“Now, he (Haasan) wants to divide the people in the name of religion,” the former Telangana governor told PTI Videos. Now that Haasan is a Rajya Sabha MP, he should be more responsible. However, it has become fashionable to insult Hindu sentiments in Tamil Nadu.

BJP Tamil Nadu unit vice-president Khushbu Sundar condemned Haasan’s remark as unwarranted and “absolutely uncalled for”.

Haasan could have confined himself to stressing on the importance of education, and “we all agree that education is the biggest weapon.”

As regards NEET, she said it was introduced in 2013 even before the BJP came to power at the Centre. The medical entrance test was not for Tamil Nadu alone, but for the whole country. Also, when all other states do not have a problem with NEET and when students and parents in Tamil Nadu do not have a problem, why are they (parties in the state) making it political, she asked.

In 2023, DMK leader and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment linking Sanatan Dharma to dengue and malaria led to a huge controversy and petitions were filed against him in courts.