COLOMBO: Hundreds of people today rallied in Sri Lanka's Jaffna to protest against Tamil Nadu politicians under whose pressure superstar Rajinikanth cancelled his visit to the island nation where he was scheduled to hand over houses to displaced ethnic Tamils.
Protestors belonging to different parties, including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), gathered near Jaffna's iconic Nallur Kovil. They held placards with slogans against the Tamil Nadu politicians. The 66-year-old actor was scheduled to hand over the houses built by Lyca Group's Gnanam Foundation for displaced Tamils in the decades-old separatist war in northern Jaffna. He had cancelled the visit following mounting opposition from Tamil Nadu politicians.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi (TVK) had urged the actor not go ahead with his two-day visit starting April 9 during which he was slated to hand over 150 houses. The actor had said he took the decision after founders of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and VCK, Vaiko and Thol Thirumavalavan respectively, and TVK leader T Velmurugan asked him to consider withdrawing from the event.
However, senior TNA leader Suresh Premachandran said Rajinikanth's visit was a corporate advertising effort to use the Lankan Tamil issue. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa's son Namal, an opposition legislator, had slammed the Tamil Nadu politicians for forcing the actor to cancel his visit and asked what they have done to support Tamils in Lanka