The Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of Inquiry observed that then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was being regularly updated on the developments with respect to the Thoothukudi police firing at anti-Sterlite protestors on May 22, 2018, contradictory to his claim.
Mr. Palaniswami had said that he came to know of the firing only through media reports.
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However, the Commission said there were materials available in the shape of evidence that he was updated about developments on a minute-to-minute basis.
Then Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, then Director-General of Police T.K. Rajendran, then Intelligence chief K.N. Sathiyamurthy "have been updating the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami with minute-to-minute development."
Rajinikanth’s remarks
As for the statements made by actor Rajinikanth regarding the incident, the Commission said when given a questionnaire as to whether the actor viewed any video footage or CCTV recordings of the incident, he answered in a "circuitous fashion", thereby confirming he did not have any materials to make such comments.
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“A popular actor of the stature of Mr. Rajinikanth is not expected to act on the spur of the moment. When he makes a statement to which gullible public attach significance, he is to be sure of the source of the information,” it said, adding that arbitrary, capricious and whimsical statements trotted out by celebrities could mislead people and create more problems, it said.
Celebrities should act with restraint and with the sense of responsibility.
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“The ipse-dixit of individuals 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 Commission observed.
