Continuous protests will turn T.N. into a graveyard: Rajini

After visiting the victims of police firing on Wednesday, actor and Rajini Makkal Mandram founder Rajinikanth set off a political storm with his comments on protests and the role of the police, the State government and the Opposition parties, among others.

“If there are going to be protests for every issue, Tamil Nadu will turn into a graveyard,” he said in an angry voice and walked away from an interaction with journalists at the Chennai airport, seemingly upset over the repeated questioning by a journalist on his position defending the police. “Anti-social elements had infiltrated the protests and created trouble. The people who participated in the protests, including the fishermen, are innocent,” he said.

Same thing happened on the final day of the jallikattu protests (last year). The whole trouble started when anti-social elements started attacking the police. The problems started then. I will never accept policemen in uniform being attacked,” Mr. Rajinikanth said. Asked how he knew about this [infiltration of anti-social elements], the actor, who has declared his intentions to join politics, said “I know.”

Urging the police to quickly identify the anti-social elements, he said severe action should be taken against them.

His remarks drew varied reactions from political leaders. While Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan argued that but for the protests the State would have turned into a graveyard, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan endorsed his views.

Earlier, speaking to reporters at a private resort on the outskirts of Thoothukudi, Mr. Rajinikanth said anti-social elements should be crushed with an iron hand as was done by former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

He also appealed to the public not to resort to agitation against every industrial investment being made in the State as it would effectively seal employment generation in Tamil Nadu, where farming had been almost wiped out due to water scarcity.

While the governments should give permission for establishing industries after carefully following all norms, those who were dissatisfied with such investments should approach the court to get legal remedy as protest was not the solution.

At the same time, the actor said Sterlite could not reopen its closed down copper manufacturing unit at Thoothukudi even after approaching the court.

“If the management of Sterlite Copper approaches the court in a bid to reopen its closed down unit, they are not human beings… As the judges are also human beings, the company cannot get legal remedy there and the government should not allow that attempt to succeed. Nothing can win over people’s power,” he added.

On the DMK’s protest against the State government in the Sterlite issue and its decision to boycott the ongoing Assembly session, the actor said the DMK was politicising everything and the people, who were closely watching it, would teach it a fitting lesson.

Asked if he would seek the resignation of the Chief Minister, the actor said he did not seek it as it was not the solution.

When asked about the Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to probe the anti-Sterlite protest violence and the subsequent police firing, the actor said he was not satisfied with the move.

On behalf of Rajini Makkal Mandram, it was announced that ₹2 lakh each would be given to the families of police firing victims and ₹10,000 for the injured.