Kamal Haasan's MNM announces merger with Congress, then retracts saying 'website was hacked'

Hours after an official press release on the website of Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) informed about merger of the party with the Indian National Congress, the MNM has now taken a U-turn and denied any such merger plans. The MNM said its website was hacked and it's probing the incident.

MNM spokesperson denies merger, says probing hacked website

Spokesperson of MNM, Murali Appas, told News9, “We are probing into the hacking incident. The news (of merger) is completely false. We don’t have any such plans except the support to the DMK – Congress alliance in the Erode East bye-election. Our leader Kamal Haasan will soon issue an official statement about this.”

Earlier on Friday, people were taken by surprise when the official website of MNM stated that the party has decided to merge with Congress ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Merger was announced on MNM website

“Makkal Needhi Maiam said that not just Kamal Haasan, but all the members of the party are with Rahul Gandhi in his attempts to save India, the South Asian Union of States. Therefore, they have decided to merge with Congress. The merger will officially take place on January 30," the statement read.

In addition, MNM expressed its desire for "other parties to follow Makkal Needhi Maiam and merge themselves with Indian National Congress so that the party becomes strong and big enough to defeat Bharatiya Janata Party," according to the statement.

Statement cited Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi was also cited as saying that there is no reason why groups with similar views couldn't unite to defeat the BJP if various philosophies could come together to oppose Indira Gandhi in the form of the Janata Party.

Earlier this week, MNM pledged to back Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan in the byelection for Erode East on February 27. Notably, Haasan had travelled with Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.