No ban on Rajini to visit SL, says Namal Rajapaksa

"News about #Indian veteran actor Rajnikanth's visa to enter Sri Lanka been denied is nothing but a rumour. Both my father and I, like many other Sri Lankan's are huge fans of his films. If he wishes to visit #lka there will be no hindrances," (sic) tweeted Namal Rajapaksa, son of Lankan Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Former Chief Minister of the Northern Province CV Wigneswaran paid a courtesy call on Rajinikanth at his Poes Garden residence and held talks on January 11. Wigneswaran had briefed Rajinikanth on the issues faced by Tamils in Sri Lanka. The former Northern Province Chief Minister had also invited Rajinikanth to visit Sri Lanka and meet the Tamils.

In 2017, Rajinikanth was forced to cancel his visit to Sri Lanka where he was scheduled to give away homes for displaced Tamils, after some pro-Tamil parties urged him to withdraw from the programme. The actor was scheduled to hand over the homes built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in northern Jaffna on April 9-10, 2017.