<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">Kamal Haasan to launch political party </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554">today,</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-33554"> invites people to &#39;create a new era&#39;</a>

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to &#39;create a new era&#39; even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai.&nbsp;

Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members.

The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party&rsquo;s name and launch its flag.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-cs-assault-case-police-detains-aap-mla-prakash-jarwal-33546">Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal</a>

AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister&#39;s residence, police said.

He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said.

Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister&#39;s residence on Monday night.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-dated-bushra-when-i-was-still-his-wife-reham-khan-33552">Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan</a>

&quot;Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife,&quot; said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan.

Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday.

In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-backs-ban-on-bump-stocks-on-semi-automatic-weapons-33551">Trump backs ban on &#39;bump stocks&#39; on semi-automatic weapons</a>

Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban &quot;bump stocks&quot; -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one.

Trump also said school safety was a &quot;top priority&quot; for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states.

Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-cancels-planned-meeting-with-us-vp-pence-33543">Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped</a>

US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un&#39;s sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday.

&quot;North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics,&quot; Pence&#39;s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement.

But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, &quot;they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down,&quot; Ayers said. 
&nbsp;

Kamal Haasan to launch political party today, invites people to 'create a new era' Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan has invited people to 'create a new era' even as he gears up to launch his political party on Wednesday in Madurai. Haasan began his political journey from the house of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. Hours before launching his political party, he visited the residence of Kalam and interacted with his family members. The actor will take out a rally from the house of Kalam at Rameswaram, culminating in Madurai where he will address a rally to announce the party’s name and launch its flag. Delhi Chief Secretary assault case: Police detain AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal AAP legislator Prakash Jarwal was detained last night in connection with the alleged assault on the Delhi chief secretary at the chief minister's residence, police said. He was picked up from his house at Deoli and detained. There is a possibility he will be arrested later, sources said. Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash has alleged that he was assaulted by AAP MLAs Amantullah Khan and others during a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Monday night. Imran dated Bushra while I was still his wife: Reham Khan "Imran dated Bushra when I was his wife," said Reham Khan, the second wife of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan. Imran Khan, 65, tied the knot with Bushra Maneka in a private ceremony in Lahore on Sunday. In an interview with The Times, Reham alleged that her ex-husband knew Bushra for the last three years and continued to see her even during her short-lived marriage with the former cricketer-turned-politician. Trump backs ban on 'bump stocks' on semi-automatic weapons Faced with an outpouring of grief and anger over a deadly school shooting in Florida, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threw his support behind moves to ban "bump stocks" -- an accessory that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic one. Trump also said school safety was a "top priority" for his administration and he would be holding meetings on the subject this week and also next week, when he holds talks with governors from all 50 US states. Calls to ban bump stocks have been mounting since Stephen Paddock, a retired accountant, used them on several of his weapons to kill 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas in October 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in recent US history. Secret Pence, North Korea meeting planned, then scrapped US Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to meet with North Korean officials, including leader Kim Jong Un's sister, while in South Korea for the Winter Olympics this month but the North Koreans cancelled at the last minute, US officials said on Tuesday. "North Korea dangled a meeting in hopes of the Vice President softening his message, which would have ceded the world stage for their propaganda during the Olympics," Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, said in a statement. But after Pence condemned North Korean human rights abuses and announced plans for new economic sanctions, "they walked away from a meeting or perhaps they were never sincere about sitting down," Ayers said.

WION News brief, February 21, 2018

Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named Makkal Needhi Maiam (People&#39;s Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present at the meeting where the actor said he is &quot;going to create a people&#39;s government&quot; amid much fanfare. Haasan had said on Tuesday that he in entering politics &quot;only because the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party is bad&quot;.

Here are the top developments leading up to Kamal Haasan&#39;s party launch:

1. &quot;This is not a one day celebration. With this joy comes great responsibility. I am not going to tell you what to do, I&#39;m going to listen. I am duty bound for my Tamil motherland,&quot; Haasan said at the launch of his party today.

2. The actor began his political journey on Wednesday by visiting the house of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-is-a-second-kalam-posters-hit-the-streets-in-madurai-33619">A P J Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram</a>, describing the former president as his &quot;role model&quot;. He then undertook a 170-km-long road journey to reach Madurai where he announced the name of his party and unveiled its flag.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
நாம் கனவு காண்கிறோம். ஒரு புதிய கட்சி, ஒரு புதிய பாதை, ஒரு புதிய கொள்கை. &lsquo;மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம்&rsquo; 
தமிழகம் விழித்தெழட்டும்.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#மய்யம்</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%80%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF_%E0%AE%AE%E0%AE%AF%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#மக்கள்_நீதி_மய்யம்</a> 
 
official website: <a href="https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk">https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk</a> 
fb: <a href="https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf">https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf</a> 
twitter: <a href="https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb">https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb</a> <a href="https://t.co/pmq5wTGbwL">pic.twitter.com/pmq5wTGbwL</a>
&mdash; Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) <a href="https://twitter.com/ikamalhaasan/status/966314176447594496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

3. To the supporters who had gathered at the village in Rameswaram, Haasan said he is no more a movie star but a lamp in the homes of people. &quot;Like the lamp in your homes you should protect me,&quot; the 62-year-old actor told the gathering on his way to Madurai.

4. Haasan was greeted with chants of &#39;Nammavar&#39;, which translates to our man in English. &quot;It is the name of a film. My fans are aware of it. It&#39;s owning me up, it&#39;s our man,&quot; the actor said.

5. Before starting his road journey, Haasan called on DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to seek his blessings. Stalin was also present there.

6. Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/will-kamal-haasan-fill-the-void-in-tamil-nadu-politics-8511">Haasan&#39;s party in Tamil Nadu</a> does not have much political space to grow. Moily said DMK and AIADMK are dominant regional political parties in the state. &quot;So, I don&#39;t think there will be much (political) space left for other regional parties, unless they align with these mainstream regional parties (DMK and AIADMK),&quot; Moily said.

7. Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Tamil Nadu unit leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Kamal appeared to have &quot;started a political party to compete against someone&quot;, an apparent reference to superstar Rajinikanth who has also announced plans to launch his political entry. On the other hand, Dalit party leader Thol Thirumavalan told reporters that Kamal and Rajinikanth are agents of the BJP to affect DMK in Tamil Nadu.

8. Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year. As the first step, the actor launched a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kamal-haasan-confirms-his-debut-in-politics-to-launch-an-app-on-his-birthday-23566">mobile application</a> of his political party on his birthday on November 7, 2017. The actor said that the app will help him stay connected to his fans as well as help him book-keeping.

9. Kejriwal had called on Haasan in September, 2017, and had then said it was &quot;important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem.&quot;

10. Besides Kejriwal, Haasan also met the chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, and &#39;superstar&#39; Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.

&nbsp;

Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year.

Leading actor Kamal Haasan today formally entered politics by launching a party named Makkal Needhi Maiam (People's Justice Party) at a public meeting in Madurai. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was present at the meeting where the actor said he is "going to create a people's government" amid much fanfare. Haasan had said on Tuesday that he in entering politics "only because the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party is bad". Here are the top developments leading up to Kamal Haasan's party launch: 1. "This is not a one day celebration. With this joy comes great responsibility. I am not going to tell you what to do, I'm going to listen. I am duty bound for my Tamil motherland," Haasan said at the launch of his party today. 2. The actor began his political journey on Wednesday by visiting the house of A P J Abdul Kalam in Rameswaram, describing the former president as his "role model". He then undertook a 170-km-long road journey to reach Madurai where he announced the name of his party and unveiled its flag. நாம் கனவு காண்கிறோம். ஒரு புதிய கட்சி, ஒரு புதிய பாதை, ஒரு புதிய கொள்கை. ‘மக்கள் நீதி மய்யம்’ தமிழகம் விழித்தெழட்டும்.#மய்யம் #மக்கள்_நீதி_மய்யம் official website: https://t.co/cql8kgqGkk fb: https://t.co/2Gz1xRg5vf twitter: https://t.co/J9ywXrunOb pic.twitter.com/pmq5wTGbwL — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) February 21, 2018 × 3. To the supporters who had gathered at the village in Rameswaram, Haasan said he is no more a movie star but a lamp in the homes of people. "Like the lamp in your homes you should protect me," the 62-year-old actor told the gathering on his way to Madurai. 4. Haasan was greeted with chants of 'Nammavar', which translates to our man in English. "It is the name of a film. My fans are aware of it. It's owning me up, it's our man," the actor said. 5. Before starting his road journey, Haasan called on DMK president M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to seek his blessings. Stalin was also present there. 6. Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said that Haasan's party in Tamil Nadu does not have much political space to grow. Moily said DMK and AIADMK are dominant regional political parties in the state. "So, I don't think there will be much (political) space left for other regional parties, unless they align with these mainstream regional parties (DMK and AIADMK)," Moily said. 7. Bharatiya Janata Party's Tamil Nadu unit leader Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters that Kamal appeared to have "started a political party to compete against someone", an apparent reference to superstar Rajinikanth who has also announced plans to launch his political entry. On the other hand, Dalit party leader Thol Thirumavalan told reporters that Kamal and Rajinikanth are agents of the BJP to affect DMK in Tamil Nadu. 8. Haasan had dropped hints of taking the political plunge in September last year. As the first step, the actor launched a mobile application of his political party on his birthday on November 7, 2017. The actor said that the app will help him stay connected to his fans as well as help him book-keeping. 9. Kejriwal had called on Haasan in September, 2017, and had then said it was "important at this point when the country is facing strong forces of corruption and communalism, all like minded people should talk to each other on these issues and work in tandem." 10. Besides Kejriwal, Haasan also met the chief ministers of Kerala and West Bengal, Pinarayi Vijayan and Mamata Banerjee, respectively, and 'superstar' Rajinikanth ahead of his political foray.

Kamal Haasan takes political plunge, launches People's Justice Party in Madurai

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the launch of actor Kamal Hassan&#39;s political party tomorrow (February 21).

The Tamil megastar, 63, is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-meets-kamal-haasan-in-chennai-20478">Arvind Kejriwal had met Kamal Haasan</a> in Chennai&nbsp;in September last year.

Kamal Haasan had said that many issues including corruption were discussed during the meeting. He also lauded Arvind Kejriwal for his fight against communalism and corruption.

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/arvind-kejriwal-to-attend-launch-of-kamal-haasans-political-party-on-wednesday-33450"> Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan&#39;s political party on Wednesday</a>

&quot;I am very happy that he (Arvind Kejriwal) is here, have discussed issues including corruption,&quot; Kamal Haasan had said.

Arvind Kejriwal was equally happy at the outcome of the meeting and had said Kamal Haasan should enter politics.

&quot;Had an excellent meeting, we exchanged our ideas on the situation in the country and Tamil Nadu. He (Kamal Haasan) should enter into politics,&quot; the AAP chief had said.

&quot;We will continue to discuss and meet each other in future also,&quot; he had added.

 
&nbsp;

Kamal Haasan is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow, when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the launch of actor Kamal Hassan's political party tomorrow (February 21). The Tamil megastar, 63, is all set to make his official entry into politics tomorrow when he plans to reveal his party name and unveil the party flag at a public meeting in Madurai. Arvind Kejriwal had met Kamal Haasan in Chennai in September last year. Kamal Haasan had said that many issues including corruption were discussed during the meeting. He also lauded Arvind Kejriwal for his fight against communalism and corruption. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan's political party on Wednesday "I am very happy that he (Arvind Kejriwal) is here, have discussed issues including corruption," Kamal Haasan had said. Arvind Kejriwal was equally happy at the outcome of the meeting and had said Kamal Haasan should enter politics. "Had an excellent meeting, we exchanged our ideas on the situation in the country and Tamil Nadu. He (Kamal Haasan) should enter into politics," the AAP chief had said. "We will continue to discuss and meet each other in future also," he had added.

Arvind Kejriwal to attend launch of Kamal Haasan's political party on Wednesday

Superstar Kamal Haasan, who is all set to announce his political party on February 21, has decided to bid goodbye to his film career. An illustrious career spanning over five decades, Haasan is considered a veteran in Indian cinema. While many had expected that the actor would quit films to concentrate on his political career, the official announcement was made only on Wednesday by the actor while speaking to a news channel.&nbsp;

&quot;Except for the two films which are coming out(Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2), there will be no more films for me,&quot; declared Haasan and added, &quot;I am earnest. I am not here to improve my bank account. I could have led a happy, retired, popular life. My decision to come into politics is, as I do not want to die merely as an actor. I will die in the service of people and that I have promised myself.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
When he was asked whether he would continue to be in active politics even if he lost the elections, Haasan said, &quot; &quot;I will have to do something for an honest living. But I don&#39;t think I am going to lose.&quot; 
 
&ldquo;I may not have been a political entity but we have been in social service for 37 years. In these 37 years, we have collected about 10 lakh loyal workers. They are with me for the past 37 years. At my instruction, they have engaged more and more younger people in our welfare movement over the years including about 250 lawyers. All would become volunteers,&quot; the actor added. 
 
Expressing his discontentment about the growing Hindu extremism in the country, the actor stated that he could not just keep complaining about it.&nbsp; 
 
The 63-year-old actor, who is forming a new political party, said he did not associate himself with the saffron colour. The actor stated that the colour of his politics is &ldquo;black&rdquo; and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s culturally not a bad colour for us Tamils.&quot;

Hassan called himself a fan of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and said, &quot;This country in all its diversity is what makes India for me.&rdquo; 
 
Haasan went on to clarify that he is not a Hindu hater. &quot;I cannot be hating Hindus or be the virodhi (opponent) of Hindus as I have many in the family. I am just saying this kind of extremism is bad for our lot.&quot; 
 
On whether there would be any alliance with another superstar of Tamil cinema Rajinikanth, who has also announced his entry into politics, Haasan said if Rajinikanth&#39;s colour of politics is saffron then there would be no alliance. 
Haasan revealed that he had been thinking of getting into politics for the last 12-10 years but wasn&#39;t clear on how to go about it. Now that he has, he said, &quot;I can&#39;t keep complaining and get angry. You have to (get into politics). Unless you do that you cannot bring the reforms I am envisioning for Tamil Nadu.&quot;

Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2 will the last two films for Haasan.

Superstar Kamal Haasan, who is all set to announce his political party on February 21, has decided to bid goodbye to his film career. An illustrious career spanning over five decades, Haasan is considered a veteran in Indian cinema. While many had expected that the actor would quit films to concentrate on his political career, the official announcement was made only on Wednesday by the actor while speaking to a news channel. "Except for the two films which are coming out(Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2), there will be no more films for me," declared Haasan and added, "I am earnest. I am not here to improve my bank account. I could have led a happy, retired, popular life. My decision to come into politics is, as I do not want to die merely as an actor. I will die in the service of people and that I have promised myself.” When he was asked whether he would continue to be in active politics even if he lost the elections, Haasan said, " "I will have to do something for an honest living. But I don't think I am going to lose." “I may not have been a political entity but we have been in social service for 37 years. In these 37 years, we have collected about 10 lakh loyal workers. They are with me for the past 37 years. At my instruction, they have engaged more and more younger people in our welfare movement over the years including about 250 lawyers. All would become volunteers," the actor added. Expressing his discontentment about the growing Hindu extremism in the country, the actor stated that he could not just keep complaining about it. The 63-year-old actor, who is forming a new political party, said he did not associate himself with the saffron colour. The actor stated that the colour of his politics is “black” and he is concerned about saffron colour. He said black in his politics reflects a Dravidian tone and the dark skin. "It's culturally not a bad colour for us Tamils." Hassan called himself a fan of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru and said, "This country in all its diversity is what makes India for me.” Haasan went on to clarify that he is not a Hindu hater. "I cannot be hating Hindus or be the virodhi (opponent) of Hindus as I have many in the family. I am just saying this kind of extremism is bad for our lot." On whether there would be any alliance with another superstar of Tamil cinema Rajinikanth, who has also announced his entry into politics, Haasan said if Rajinikanth's colour of politics is saffron then there would be no alliance. Haasan revealed that he had been thinking of getting into politics for the last 12-10 years but wasn't clear on how to go about it. Now that he has, he said, "I can't keep complaining and get angry. You have to (get into politics). Unless you do that you cannot bring the reforms I am envisioning for Tamil Nadu."

Kamal Haasan set to quit film career to concentrate on politics