Popular actor Rajinikanth’s allegations of “anti-social elements” infiltrating the 2018 anti-Sterlite agitations in Thoothukudi are baseless, the Aruna Jagadeesan Committee’s report said. The report, which was tabled in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Tuesday October 18, said that the actor “made a statement of far reaching consequences and he will do well to verify the correctness of the material on the basis of which such statements are made.” Rajinikanth had in 2018 visited those who had been shot and injured in 2018, and later alleged that “anti-social elements and toxic germs had infiltrated” the agitation. His comments were criticised severely for their insensitivity and lack of evidence.
“A popular actor of the stature of Rajinikanth is not expected to act on the spur of the moment. When he makes a statement to which the gullible public attach significance he is to be sure of the source of the information. He has made a statement of far reaching consequences and he will do well to verify the correctness of the material on the basis of which such statements are made. Arbitrary, capricious and whimsical statements trotted out by celebrities have a tendency to mislead the public and would create more problems than they solve. The celebrities should act with restraint and with a sense of responsibility. The ipse-dixit of individuals (a statement that is not proved) have no place in the public domain and is to be scrupulously avoided more so in the case of film celebrities and those in public life,” the report noted.
The report also stated that to a specific question as to whether he had viewed any video footage or CCTV recordings of the incident before making his statement to the media, the actor had replied in a ‘circuitous fashion’, “meaning thereby that he does not have any materials to form the basis of his comments,” the report said.
After his visit to Thoothukudi in May 2018, Rajinikath had made two contentious statements during two separate interviews. One was given from his residence, where he said that there was a “total failure” of state machinery including intelligence, and that the police exceeded their limit and attacked the protesters brutally. In a second interview at the Chennai airport, he changed track and alleged that anti-social elements infiltrated the protest march, and that it was only the anti-social elements who attacked the police, damaged the Collectorate building and set fire to Sterlite staff quarters.
The report agreed with his first comment regarding the failure of the state machinery, stating that the “very fact that the extraordinary happenings took place in Thoothukudi would bear testimony to his comment, that had due and proper precaution been taken, the untoward incidents could have been averted”.
For his second comment about the news of anti-social elements intruding in the protest, the report says that the actor “expressed in unambiguous terms that he has no materials whatsoever to form the basis of his comment”. “He would prefer not to express any view as to whether or not innocent and gullible public were instigated by anti-social elements. He would candidly state that he is not possessed of any documents, supporting materials, media reports and daily newspaper reports,” the report said.
Later, in 2021, Rajinikanth signed an affidavit to the Commission, stating that he had no evidence to substantiate his allegations that anti-social elements instigated the violence during Thoothukudi firing. He reportedly stated in his response that his address to the media at the time was unscheduled, and that he had no documentation as proof.
In 2018, residents of Thoothukudi had gathered peacefully to demand the shutting down of Sterlite Copper. The civil protest that went on for about 100 days ended in unprecedented violence and led to open firing by the police, which resulted in the death of 14 people, including that of 17-year-old Snowlin Jackson. The police fired on the protesters for two successive days on May 22 and 23, 2018. Over the two days, more than 100 people were injured. On May 22, 11 of the protesters died at the protest site, while 22-year-old Kaliyappan died the next day, when the police fired yet again. One more person succumbed to his injuries in October 2018, after undergoing prolonged treatment for his injuries.
Watch: Thoothukudi-Sterlite shooting: Top cops indicted in probe