Rajini faces backlash for comments

Superstar Rajinikanth is faced with ferocious backlash to his Wednesday’s chargesheet attributing the Thoothukudi violence to ‘ anti- socials’ infiltrating what had hitherto been peaceful protest against Sterlite. Most of the political class in Tamil Nadu, apart from some social activists and even the public — particularly the left leaning — slamming him as being insensitive to people’s struggle against a ‘ marauding corporate’.

There was some solace, though, as both the AIADMK and the BJP spoke up, rather forcefully, in support of the actor’s ‘ bold’ statement which they said was like a nail hit on the head.

“Rajinikanth spoke with clear conscience when he said anti- socials had infiltrated the antiSterlite protest and that must be welcomed”, said the AIADMK official organ ‘ Namadhu Puratchithalaivi Amma’ in its Thursday morning edition.

BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Sounderarajan insisted that her party has been warning for long that anti- socials have infiltrated peaceful public demonstrations to destroy peace.

“The Thoothukudi agitation turned violent only because of anti- socials infiltrating. The protesting public never had any intention to throw stones and torch vehicles. One only needs to examine the dimension and direction the protest took to understand clearly that antisocials had taken charge”, she said, adding, “And so, we ( BJP) have been saying all along what Rajinikanth has now said”.

But the Opposition DMK and allies came down heavily against the actor, accusing him of insulting the Thoothukudi protesters by branding them as anti- socials. “He sounded like the mouthpiece of the BJP and the AIADMK”, said DMK working president M. K. Stalin.