The Hindu : Parties jump on Rajnikant bandwagon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Parties jump on Rajnikant bandwagon

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI OCT. 9. Political parties in Tamil Nadu have supported the stand taken by the film star, Rajnikant, against the form of agitation at Neyveli proposed by a section led by the director, Bharatiraaja.

While the DMK distanced itself from the Neyveli agitation, the State Congress president, S. Balakrishnan, expressed support for both the fast proposed by Mr. Rajnikant and the Neyveli agitation.

The Puthiya Tamizhagam and the Dalit Panthers of India were unequivocal in their endorsement of the fast plan in Chennai.

The PT chief, K. Krishnasamy, said his party would back Mr. Rajnikant, who had broken free of the ``AIADMK-instigated'' agitation led by Mr. Bharatiraaja. Tamil film industry personnel should realise that they were unknowingly caught in the agitation, and line up behind Mr. Rajnikant.

The protest fast by Mr. Rajnikant should not be seen as the agitation of an individual, but should be treated as an expression of the sentiments of the Tamil people as a whole.

The DPI leader, R. Tirumavalavan, said Mr. Bharatiraaja should not stand on false prestige and should shift the agitation venue to Chennai as desired by Mr. Rajnikant. With the DMK having already stated it would not support the Neyveli agitation, the protest in the township would lose its strength, he said.

The Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, said he would depute the State unit president, V.S. Chandralekha, to join the fast planned by Mr. Rajnikant. The CPI(M) State secretary, N. Varadarajan, appealed to both Mr. Bharatiraaja and Mr. Rajnikant to give up the agitations as the people of Tamil Nadu had already expressed their strong protest on the Cauvery issue through today's general strike.

Immediately after the film star's announcement of a parallel stir in the city, the BJP all-India Secretary, L.Ganesan, called up Mr.Rajnikant and extended his party's support to the agitation plan. `

`We support Mr.Rajnikant's statement disapproving of the Neyveli stir, word by word and letter by letter,'' he told the media.

The BJP would not support the stir in Neyveli as Mr. Bharatiraaja had announced that it was aimed at protesting the "lethargic attitude of the Centre'' on the Cauvery issue.

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