COIMBATORE: Actor Rajinikanth’s stinging remarks against the state government has come in for strong criticism from Minister for Municipal Administration S P Velumani on Saturday.
“The government is functioning well,” the minister said at an interaction with reporters at the airport here, while commenting on the actor’s remarks. “Rajini’s criticism is highly condemnable. We have a Chief Minister who is visiting many places and is striving to resolve people’s problems,” he said.
He also criticised the actor for not supporting Sathyaraj when pro-Kannada groups threatened to prevent the screening of Baahubali in Karnataka. “If Rajini is a person who walks the talk, why did he not raise his voice in support of Sathyaraj, hounded by Kannada chauvinists?” he said.
On the move to merge the two factions of AIADMK, he said “The committee formed for this purpose by the CM is holding talks with the rival faction. The party will be united soon and it will regain the Two Leaves symbol. The late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had wished that the AIADMK would exist for 100 years. We are working towards that.”
On the rebel group’s links with the BJP and its willingness to ally with the saffron party for the civic poll, Velumani said, “The top leader of the faction, who met the Prime Minister on Friday, has said that the meeting was not political. There are reports that they are planning an alliance with the BJP for the coming local body polls. But we believe that they will not do it,” he added.
Cheating fans by giving false hopes: Kongu leader
Konagunadu Jananayaga Katchi leader G K Nagaraj said Rajinikanth has been cheating his fans for the last 10 years by giving false hopes about his political plunge. “Whenever Rajinikanth is in a monetary crisis or feels that his fans are moving away, he makes provocative speeches and hints that he would enter politics,” he added.
“Cheating people this way is highly condemnable. People too should not be carried away by the roles he plays in films and believe what he says,” Nagaraj said.