Congress leaders play Devil’s advocate to Rajinikanth on Thoothukudi issue

Rajinikanth, who visited Thoothukudi protesters last week, had described some of the protesters as “anti-social elements” who had triggered the violence and said the state would become a graveyard if people protested for everything.

TNCC chief Su Thirunavukkarasar, who was among the first to defend the actor’s verbal volleys, read between the lines and said the actor was misunderstood and he was not against all protests, but had only objected to protesting everything, a view expressed also by erstwhile Congress union minister and now TMC leader GK Vasan.

Thirunavukkarasar had voluntarily clarified on behalf of Rajini, more so at a time when his ‘ally’ and DMK working president MK Stalin accused the actor of voicing the views of the BJP and the ruling AIADMK.

As if that were not enough to ruffle feathers in Anna Arivalayam, Congress south Chennai district president Karate Thiyagarajan called Rajini a “promising leader of the future” who would fill the vacuum in the state. Not content with defending the actor’s statements, Thiyagarajan reacted to the issue by saying; “Even when the CM could not visit (Thoothukudi), Rajini had visited and won overwhelming public response. He will emerge as a promising leader in the future and fill the vacuum in the state.”

Thiyagarajan’s loaded statement come a little over a fortnight after former deputy mayor of Chennai visited the superstar, triggering rumours about him defecting to the actor’s camp.

The Congress leaders’ overwhelming support for Rajini would not go well with ally DMK, which has been asserting since the day the actor took the political plunge that there was no leadership vacuum in the state.

DMK sources, who were understandably annoyed by the Congress support for the actor, said the TNCC chief might have done it to satisfy his friend Rajini and irritate them for consolidating other regional parties.

However, DMK leaders said in no unequivocal terms that the statements of Thiyagarajan were a clear indication that the latter was defecting from Congress or attempting to rub the Dravidian major on the wrong side.

Pertinently, Congress leaders were not the lone victims of coming in defence of Rajinikanth. Kaala director Pa Ranjith, who is known for his strong views against casteism and Dalit oppression, has also damaged his reputation a bit by trying to defend Rajinikanth.

Netizens had a gala time when the two-time director of Rajinikanth attempted to defend the actor a few days ahead of the release of his movie Kaala.