Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri slammed actor Rajinikanth for his comments on Periyar during the Thuglak event and questioned why the actor was selectively quoting from the past.
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In a statement, Mr. Alagiri condemned the actor’s statement on Periyar and said Periyar had fought for social justice in a society that had oppressed sections of people for thousands of years.
“While Mr. Rajinikanth quoted the 1971 rally in his speech, why did he not speak about the black cover page that Cho printed after the Babri Masjid was demolished and had severely criticised the demolition? Why did he not speak about the Thuglaq issue brought out in 1996 where Cho had detailed the role of Rajinikanth and Cho himself in bringing about the formation of the DMK-Tamil Maanila Congress alliance to dislodge the Jayalalithaa regime?” Mr. Alagiri asked.
Mr. Alagiri asked why Mr. Rajinikanth chose not to speak about these two issues and mentioned only the 1971 rally in his speech at the Thuglak event. “What is the sectarian political agenda behind this? Will Mr. Rajinikanth explain?” the TNCC president questioned.
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In his speech, Mr. Rajinikanth had said that Periyar held an anti-superstition rally in Salem in 1971 in which naked pictures of Lord Ram and Sita were paraded in public and garlanded with slippers.
Referring to the actor’s statement on Tuesday refuting allegations that he had spoken about something that had not happened and that the rally must be forgotten but not denied, Mr. Alagiri asked why the actor was referring to just one issue.
Mr. Alagiri said the Congress still had high regard for the actor but ended with the plea: “Kindly do not fall prey to sectarian forces. That’s our request.”