Rajinikanth issued summons over ‘anti-social elements’ remark on 2018 Tuticorin violence, firing

The Justice Aruna Jagadeesan commission that is probing the May 2018 violence that erupted in Tuticorin during the anti-Sterlite protests which resulted in 13 deaths after police opened fire, has summoned actor Rajinikanth for his remarks on the protests. The superstar has been asked to depose before the commission on February 25. 

Speaking to the media in Tuticorin on May 30, after visiting the protestors who were injured in the violence, Rajinikanth had asserted that, anti-social elements had managed to infiltrate into the protests and unleashed violence, which led to police firing. Despite drawing flak for his comments from the protestors and political parties, the actor stood his ground.

When he has demanded a clarification on the evidence behind his remarks, Rajini said, “Don’t ask me how I know, I know all of that.”

The commission led by retired Madras High Court Judge Aruna Jagadeesan was set up by the Tamil Nadu government after protests against Vedanta’s Sterlite copper smelter plant  in Thoothukudi district took a violent turn on May 22 with at least 13 people being killed in alleged police firing.

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Thirty others were injured as a mob of thousands of people went on a rampage demanding the polluting factory be shut down. The commission has summoned police officers, employees of Sterlite and doctors as part of its investigation.

During an appearance before the commission in October last year, fringe outfit leader Seeman had said that Rajinikanth should be summoned before the commission for deposition, as the evidence that the actor had might have driven to to make the statement.