Court notice to Rajinikanth on suit asking fans not to pour milk on his cutouts

Bengaluru: A city civil court has ordered issue of an emergent notice to superstar Rajinikanth on an injunction suit seeking him to "wilfully" advise his fans not to put flex banners and cutouts and not to "propitiate" milk on them "in the interest of justice and equity."

The suit was filed by social activist Dr I M S Manivannan in the city civil court on March 26.

In its March 26 ex-parte ad interim temporary injunction, the court directed the fans not to put any flex banners or cut-outs and not to "propitiate" milk on them on the eve of the Centre honouring Rajinikanth with Padma Vibhushan.

"Pleased to pass the order of exparte ad interim temporary injunction directing the defendant's fans not to put any flex banners or cut-outs and not to propitiate milk on the flex banners or cut-outs" on the eve of Rajinikanth being honoured with Padma Vibhushan "in the interest of justice and equity," said the order.

The Padma award function was held on March 28 when 56 personalities received the honour. The rest of the awardees, including Rajinikanth, actress Priyanka Chopra and tennis star Sania Mirza, will be given the honour at a separate function to be held next month.

Speaking to PTI, Manivannan said a lot of milk is wasted by propitiating on flex banners and cutouts of Rajinikanth, instead it can be distributed among the poor and the needy.

"Lot of children are malnourished because of poverty in this county, they should be given that milk. Rajinikanth should ask his fans not to waste milk," he said.

Prior to the release of the superstar's films, his frenzied fans perform 'paal abhishekam', a ritual involving pouring of milk on flex banners and on his life-sized cutouts.

The next hearing is scheduled for April 11.