By Express News Service
THOOTHUKUDI: Superstar Rajinikanth visited the gunfire victims at the Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital, on Wednesday, and conveyed his heartfelt grief over the incident. Even as he came down the Palayamkottai Road from the Thoothukudi airport, Rajini’s fans gathered on either side to have a glimpse of their favourite star.
The actor visited the injured victims at the hospitals at around 12 noon, amid tight security. Police denied him permission to visit the families of the deceased at their houses, because of security concerns.
Later, meeting reporters at Sathya Resort, Rajinikanth said that the gunfire victims undergoing treatment at the ThMCH are in fear, while some are fatigued. The police firing was an unfortunate incident and it should not be repeated, he added.
“The protest against the Sterlite unit was going on peacefully for 100 days, but the rally turned violent due to the intrusion of anti-social elements and ended in bloodshed. The anti-social elements should be controlled with an iron hand, as was done by the former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa,” Rajinikanth said, appreciating her strong governance.
Coming down heavily against the violence, the 67-year-old actor wanted those involved in the rioting and assault on police to not be spared. “They should be declared anti-social elements. Tamil Nadu is staring at the danger of policemen being manhandled. Then how can they safeguard the citizens?” he wondered.
When asked about the future of Sterlite, Rajini said, “A closure has been ordered. But if they go to court challenging the order, then they are not human.”
Warning protesters to be careful while taking part in agitations, Rajinikanth asked them to ensure that they abided by the law. Expressing concerns over the protests spilling everywhere, he said, “If the scenario goes unchecked, industrialists will become apprehensive about launching factories in the state.”
When asked about the shootout order, Rajini said police did not expect such a massive crowd, while also alleging intelligence failure. When asked about the opposition parties’ demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister, Rajini said, “Resignation is not all. They just politicised the tragedy.”
Victim receives `20 lakh solatium
Gunfire victim Selvasekar’s family members received a cheque for Rs 20 lakh as solatium from the State government here, on Tuesday. Selvasekar’s family is the first among the families of the 13 victims to get the compensation from the government.
On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit made a visit to Selvasekar’s home and condoled his death. He met the victim’s mother and other family members. The same evening, the Srivaikuntam tahsildar Thomas Arul Pious handed over the cheque for `20 lakh to Selvasekar’s mother Masanam, in the presence of Tasmac Depot Manager Ramachandran, Zonal Deputy Tasildar Ramakrishnan, Revenue Inspector Muthulakshmi, and the Village Administration Officer (VAO) Meenatchi.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Collector Sandeep Nanduri gave a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to one Sugumar, son of Velthurai of Kootampuli, who sustained injuries during firing on May 22. Sugumar’s mother received the cheque.
So far, the district administration has conducted post-mortem on the bodies of Shanmugam of Masilamanipuram, Karthik of Sivanthakulam Road, Kanthaiah of Chinnamani Nagar, Jayaram of Ayyanarpatti, Kaliappan of Mapilaiyoorani and Selvasekar of Peikulam near Sawyerpuram.
