Reprieve For Rajinikanth, Madras High Dismisses Case Over Periyar Remark

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The Madras High Court has dismissed the case filed against actor Rajinikanth on his comment against Periyar.

Dismissing the case against the superstar, the high court asked the petitioners why wasn’t the plea taken to a magistrate court first.

A row had erupted over Rajinikanth’s comment about a rally led by reformist leader EV Ramasamy “Periyar” decades ago. The comment assumed political overtones with Dravidian ideologists upping the ante against the actor.

Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam had accused the actor of uttering a blatant lie and demanded his unconditional apology and also filed police complaints seeking action against him. The DVK had on Tuesday moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the police to register a case against the actor.

DVK Secretary Umapathy in his petition submitted that he had lodged a complaint with police on January 18 but no FIR had been registered.

Amid a raging controversy over his remarks, Rajinikanth, however, stood by his comments maintaining they were factual and refused to apologise as demanded by fringe Dravidian outfits. The actor displayed clippings from magazines and newspapers in support of his claim.

“A controversy has emerged that I said something that did not happen. But I did not say anything that did not occur. I only said what I heard and things that appeared in magazines. Sorry, I will not express regret or apologise,” Rajinikanth had told reporters.

On January 14, taking part in an event held here by Tamil magazine ‘Thuglak’ Rajinikanth alleged: “In 1971, at Salem, Periyar took out a rally in which the undressed images of Lord Sriramachandramoorthy and Sita -with a garland of sandal-featured ….”