Tamilisai rebuts Rajini’s ‘Kannadiga’ remark

In her first, yet sharp, criticism of actor Rajinikanth, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan on Sunday referred to the latter’s disapproval of the appointment of Karnataka-born M.K. Surappa as the Anna University’s Vice-Chancellor and said if the people of Tamil Nadu had seen him as a Kannadiga, he would not have become a ‘Superstar’.

Addressing a party meeting at the conclusion of her ‘Tamil Tamarai Yatrai’ at Velachery here, Ms. Soundararajan asked: “Mr. Rajinikanth, if the people of Tamil Nadu had decided some 30-40 years ago that they would not watch the acting of a Kannadiga, would you be in this position?”

Tamil Nadu was a place that welcomed talent, a visibly agitated Ms. Soundararajan said, adding, “If the same people of Tamil Nadu had expressed secessionist thoughts like you [Mr. Rajinikanth] did, would you have become a Superstar?” After a pause, she said, “Only because you are finding fault with us and our Central government, I am saying this.”

Incidentally, Ms. Soundararajan was the first to welcome Mr. Rajinikanth’s “spiritual politics”.

Without naming actor Sathyaraj, who said during the film fraternity’s protest that they would not back down on the demand to constitute the Cauvery Management Board even if the Army came, she remarked, “Don’t we know how afraid you would be when the Income Tax department comes for a raid?”

She also launched a tirade against DMK working president M.K. Stalin for his comments against the Centre and his call to the people to show black flags during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chennai on April 12.