In respect to the 2018 Vedanta copper smelting factory protests, superstar Rajnikanth has been asked to appear before the court to enquire about his remarks where he claimed “anti-social elements” have given rise to the violence that erupted in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
His comments, which were believed to be a justification for police brutality and use of extreme force on unarmed protestors, has brought him in the dock yet again.
The incident dates back to 2018’s May when Vedanta Sterlite copper plant situated in Tuticorin, or officially known as Thoothukudi, was demanded to be shut for good after it became the leading cause for water and air pollution in the region resulting in the development of cancers in many residents living nearby.
The company, however, claimed that being the provider of 36% of copper in the country, India had to rely on imports for serving the demands of the citizens due to the plant’s closure. It further sought the experimental opening of the center for 2-3 months to monitor the functioning and benefits of the plant.
Nevertheless, the plea filed in the Supreme Court was rejected in August this year. The mining giant had approached the top court after the Madras High Court refused to grant permission to reopen the plant.
The ignition of violence and subsequent deaths due to police firing had eventually led to the permanent closure of the mining center.
The clash between protestors and cops resulted in the death of 13 people, shaking the state and registering as the deadliest environmental protest in India following West Bengal’s incident where 14 people died in 2007 as they were protesting against the government’s plan to transform farmland into the industrial region in Nandigram.
As for Rajnikanth, the one-woman panel probing the matter summoned him over his “anti-social elements” fueling the protest’s remark. Despite being ordered earlier as well, the actor had received an exemption from coming to the court.
Back in 2018, his comments fell in line with the ruling party AIADMK as it held anti-social entities responsible for the deaths, further urging the state government to “come down hard” on those involved.
This came as a huge disappointment to the locals of the area who had alleged that the police resorted to attacking protestors directly while also letting vehicles go up in flames in order to enact and create a situation that would justify them to open fire.
Rajnikanth lost his temper when he questioned his stance of blaming anti-socials. He blasted out at reporters saying, “Don’t ask me how I know, I know all of that.”
He had also said that he won’t entertain anyone’s disrespect or harm towards those in uniforms (government body/police official). The actor criticized the protests carried out against the police excesses, adding that the common man should not protest for everything.
“If people go out and start protests for everything, then entire Tamil Nadu will become a graveyard,” he had said.
However, when he witnessed his remarks becoming the starting link to a chain of controversies, he expressed his regret over them, without actually taking back his “anti-social elements” remark.
Earlier, there were reports of the “likelihood” of the actor being asked to summon in January next year even though he had skipped the previous appearance order of February by getting the exemption.
“There is a likelihood of issuing summon to him in January,” the council said.
When the plant approached the court to file for reopening, Rajnikanth said that the firm associates “are not humans if they do so” (go to court for scrapping the TN government’s closure order).
“With so many deaths and injuries, they should not even think of doing that,” he said.
