Rajinikanth speaks out against violence.
On Tuesday, Rajinikanth who had spoken about protests during the IPL match between KKR and CSK which turned violent. Sharing a video of a protester hitting a policeman, the megastar said that violence wasn’t a solution to the issue.
Rajinikanth tweeted that such protests would harm the country and demanded stringent laws need to be brought in to punish those who indulge in violence against police personnel.
He wrote:"The height of violence is a police personnel getting beaten up. If such violence is not bought to an end it will become a big threat to the country. A stringent law is needed to punish those who attack person in uniform."
Earlier Rajinikanth, who recently made his foray into active politics, observed that holding the IPL matches in capital Chennai was an “embarrassment” when the entire state was protesting over the Cauvery issue. Talking to media persons, he said IPL players and spectators should wear black bands to mark their protest.
The 67-year-old actor had warned that the Centre would earn Tamil Nadu’s wrath if the board was not formed on an urgent basis. “There has already been a delay,” said the actor, who announced in December that he will launch his political party and contest all 234 seats in the assembly polls.
Massive anti-IPL protests by pro-Tamil groups erupted in Chennai on Tueday with scores of activists including film directors being detained even as police chased away agitators in some places.
One incident of protesters burning yellow jerseys, the attire of Chennai Super Kings players, was witnessed.
Pro-Tamil groups like Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) and a newly launched forum of Tamil directors had given a boycott call of the popular Indian Premier League.
They alleged that the game was being organised to divert attention from the raging Cauvery protests across the state.
Hundreds of activists of outfits like TVK, Naam Tamizhar and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), besides some Muslim groups, staged road blockade at the arterial Anna Salai and TTK Salai, affecting traffic movement, police said.
The agitations especially affected vehicular traffic on the busy Anna Salai, resulting in traffic snarls.
Naam Tamizhar leader and film personality Seeman, film-maker Bharathirajaa and scores of activists were taken into custody by police, who had a tough time managing the surging number of protesters.
In some places, the agitators clashed with police, even as there were reports of police chasing them away.
Police had brought the M A Chidambaram stadium under tight security cover with 4000 police personnel guarding the venue, hosting its first IPL tie since May 2015.
Commandos and personnel of Rapid Action Force were among the security detail.
The threat of more protests prompted police to step up security for the cricketers, including during their journey to the stadium from their hotel.
The CSK team suffered a slight delay on its onward trip to the stadium for the match due to the disruption.
Some protesters at Anna Salao were seen raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not establishing the Cauvery Management Board, an issue on which Tamil Nadu political parties including DMK and other outfits have been agitating for the past one week.
Protests were also held at Triplicane, in the vicinity of the stadium, by some outfits including VCK but police foiled their bid to march towards the venue and detained them.
Earlier in the day, activists of TVK who tried to stage a demonstration outside the stadium were held.
Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests for the past one week, urging the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).
Various political parties and outfits have demanded cancellation of IPL matches in Chennai, saying it was being held at a time when the state was witnessing widespread agitations on the vexed issue.
On February 16, the Supreme Court raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and compensated Tamil Nadu by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin.
The court had granted six weeks to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on the decades-old Cauvery dispute, modifying the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award of 2007.
The six-week period ended on March 29.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}