Rajini Asks Exemption From Appearing Before Tuticorin Firing Panel

The 69-year-old actor has expressed his willingness to respond through a written statement to any queries.

Rajnikanth

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@smitha_tarur)

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth has sought exemption from personal appearance before a commission probing the violence at Tuticorin during the anti-Sterlite protests, in which 13 people were killed in police firing in 2018, saying it may inconvenience the public.

However, the 69-year-old actor has expressed his willingness to respond through a written statement to queries by the Commission.

The Tamil Nadu government had appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired judge of Madras High Court, Aruna Jagadeesan, to investigate the violence in which 13 people were killed in police firing during the protest against the Sterlite copper smelting plant, on 22 May 2018.

"He has sought an exemption as it may cause inconvenience to the public (at the time of his appearance). However, he informed them (Commission) that he can make a written response to any query put forth by the commission", sources told PTI.

Rajinikanth had, after visiting those injured in the police firing, blamed ‘anti-social elements’ for the protests and called for a Jayalalithaa style ‘iron fist’ policy to crush such protests in the interest of Tamil Nadu.

The actor's media manager, in response to a query from PTI, said "All I can say is he is in shooting in Hyderabad".