AIADMK dubs Rajinikanth as immature, opportunist

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Minister for Fisheries D. Jayakumar, on Tuesday slammed Rajinikanth for his remark that the government acted petty in refusing to allow former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to be buried alongside DMK founder C N Annaduai on the Marina, until the high court intervened.

Speaking to reporters, Jayakumar said Rajinikanth had shown ignorance of the history of AIADMK and Tamil Nadu.

 “Rajini had made a false statement that AIADMK was created by Karunanidhi”, said the minister, pointing out that it was MGR who had formed the AIADMK after being expelled from the DMK by Karunanidhi. 

After that MGR came to power and had consistently opposed Karunanidhi. 

His successor Jayalalithaa’s politics was also rooted in opposition to DMK and Karunanidhi.  

 And unlike Rajini, MGR had used the cinema to spread social messages, said Jayakumar, adding that Rajini’s statement on AIADMK only showed his political ignorance and immaturity.

Taking exception to Rajinikanth calling for an end to hate politics of the MGR-Jayalalaitha-Karunanidhi era and to his criticism that Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and his cabinet colleagues failed to attend Karunanidhi's funeral, Jayakumar said Rajinikanth was an opportunist and would not have dared to speak in such fashion if only Jayalalithaa was alive. “Rajini would not have been able to walk freely if he had spoken like this during the period of MGR and Jayalalithaa. He was in hiding during their time”, said the minister.

“To talk politics in a condolence meet is not healthy.  I feel Rajinikanth is using the occasion to catapult himself as a full-fledged politician after having been a part-time politician all this while. He is using the death of Kalaignar to pull the DMK cadres to his side”, Jayakumar said.

He said the Chief Minister as well as Deputy O Pannerselvam visited Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence immediately after he passed away and also paid their respects to him at Rajaji Hall. They also visited the hospital when Karunanidhi was battling for life. 

 He reiterated that the government couldn't allot land in Marina due to legal complications, but still was ready to give two acres of land at Gandhi Mandapam. “Then after the High Court order, we got the burial site ready in hours and also provided police bandobust for peaceful funeral procession.” he said.

The rebuttal came after Rajinikanth, in a speech at a homage meeting for Karunanidhi organised by  the Tamil film fraternity on Monday said several top national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to pay homage, and only the Chief Miniser was not there.