Rajini Visits Tuticorin, Donates Rs 2 Lakh to Kin of Deceased
Since announcing his political entry, this Rajini’s first scheduled interaction with people on the ground.
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Rajinikanth will donate Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those killed in police firing during the Sterlite protests on 22 May 2018, the actor-politician said. He also announced a donation of Rs 10,000 for people who sustained injuring during the protest.
This is the first time Rajini, since announcing his political entry in December 2017, has gone beyond the podium and Twitter to reach out to and meet the people of Tamil Nadu.
Rajini was quite head-on in calling out the inefficiency of the state government.
He also added that violence was inflicted on protesters because of “negligence of intelligence”. “This should never happen in the future,” he said.
Rajinikanth visited the people who were injured in the firing at the Tuticorin Hospital on Tuesday. He lauded the people’s might and said they should ensure that the Sterlite plant doesn’t restart again.
Yesterday, when the TN Assembly began its session, opposition parties led by the DMK, staged a walk-out demanding the resignation of the chief minister and as a mark of protest against the police firing in Tuticorin.
When Rajinikanth was asked for his opinion on the matter, he said he feels that calling for the CM’s resignation cannot solve anything.
Rajinikanth demanded action against senior police officers for opening fire on the protesters who participated in the agitation. “Higher officials who were involved in police firing should be punished. As of now, government order will suffice, but state government should also take legal recourse whenever a need arises,” he said.
Rajinikanth also brought attention to the police officials who were injured at the protests by the ‘anti-social elements.’
The TN government on 23 May appointed a one-person Commission of Inquiry under retired Madras High Court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the violence at Tuticorin.
The inquiry will cover the “law and order incidents following the siege of the District Collectorate by thousands of persons violating prohibitory orders,” an official release said.
The government, however, did not specify any time-frame to complete the investigation.
The residents of Tuticroin had been protesting for the closure of the Sterlite-owned copper smelter plant for 99 days. Things took a violent turn on 22 May, the 100th day of their stir, and 13 people were killed in police action against protesters.
On 28 May the Tamil Nadu government announced the permanent closure of the plant since it did not meet the environment-related conditions of the National Green Tribunal and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
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