A Chennai court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed by Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, a fringe outfit, seeking criminal case against film actor turned politician, Rajnikanth for his remarks on rationalist leader Ramasamy Periyar. During the golden jubilee celebrations of Thuglak magazine on January 14, Rajnikanth gave a speech about Periyar’s denigration of Hindu gods in an anti-superstition rally held in Salem in 1971 by Thanthai Periyar.

The court deemed the case to be “at best defamatory” rather than police case as was being sought by the petitioner. The petitioner had sought charges under sections 153A [Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony], 504 [Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace] and 505 [Statements conducing to public mischief] of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to be invoked against Rajnikanth. As per the petitioner, Rajnikanth made “false and fraudulent statements insulting Dravidhiyan ideologists with   intention   to   provoke   breach   of   public   peace, by promoting enmity and hatred among the public of Tamil Nadu, in   the   name   of   religion,   only   to   score   political   mileage and   gather   support   from   particular   community”.

The Court, however, after hearing the speech delivered by Rajnikanth deemed that “he   has   stated   what   he   thought   was   a   fact, about   a rally held in Salem in 1971, by Thanthai Periyar, and which according to him was also published in the Thuglak weekly magazine   of   that   period….  the speech of actor Mr.   Rajinikanth, is   at   best   defamatory.   The   offence   u/s. 499   r/w   500   IPC   alone   appears   to   be   made   out.   The   said offence   is   non-cognizable, and   maintainable   as   private complaint.   In   the   circumstance, on   the   discussion   supra, this   court   finds   that   no   grounds   are   made   out   for concluding   offences   u/s.   153A, 504 and   505 IPC   are attracted,   and   the   petitioner   can   file   private   complaint for defamation, damages, and compensation, if so advised.”

The petitioner, is reportedly set to file an appeal against this order.

The order can be read here:

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After actor Rajinikanth’s comments on social reformer Periyar saying that at a rally led by him in 1971, unclothed effigies of Lord Ram and Sita were garlanded with footwear; a statue of the Dravidian icon was found vandalized in Kancheepuram district at Kaliyapettai.

The face and hand of the statue have been damaged. The desecrated statue has now been covered with a white cloth. 

DMK President MK Stalin and PMK founder S Ramadoss condemned the vandalism incident and demanded strict action against those involved in damaging the statue of the social reformer. 

Rajinikanth has received wide criticisms for his comments against the social reformer and the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam’s (DVK) Chennai district secretary Umapathi filed a petition before the Madras High Court seeking direction to the inspector of Triplicane police station to register a complaint against Rajinikanth.

However, Rajinikanth has refused to apologize for his comments. He had said, “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 apologize.”

“I did not say anything out of imagination or something that was not there. Lakshmanan [then Jan Sangh and now BJP leader] who took part in a dharna [in 1971] has corroborated it,” he added.

Tamil Nadu minister Sellar Raju had lashed out at Rajinikanth for his statement saying that it was because of Periyar’s reforms that the re-marriage of Rajini’s daughter had been made possible. 

Saying that Rajinikanth shouldn’t have spoken about an incident that took place 50 years ago and talk about Periyar’s struggle as a matter of pride Raju said, “Rajinikanth arranged the second marriage for his daughter on the principle of Periyar. He should never forget this. Rajini, always patient, is being currently misled by someone.”

Stalin too said that he had a “piece of advice” for Rajinikanth. He had told The Hindu, “I have an advice for him. When he talks about Periyar, who fought for almost 95 years for the Tamil people, he should think and speak.”

This is not the first time that statues of the social reformer have been vandalized. In April 2019, a statue of Periyar at the Aranthangi district in Tamil Nadu was found with its head dislodged and lying on the ground.

In 2018 in Vellor another Periyar statue was found broken after BJP leader H Raja had said that all statues of the social reformer must be broken.
 

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“Naa eppo varuven eppadi varuven nu yarukum theriyathu
aana varavendiya tithula correct ah varuven”
(No one knows when and how I will enter. But I will enter at the right time)
 
The above lines are from the 1995 blockbuster of Rajinikanth named Muthu. Rajinikanth is the tallest global star from India whose popularity is not just limited to south and not even limited to the Indian subcontinent. He’s the most popular Indian star in Southeast Asia and also Japan. The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) under the leadership of Amit Shah^[1] is making a furious attempt to enter the unconquered regions of East and South India.
 
Tamil Nadu, with 39 MPs, is electorally the biggest state in South India. In 2014, BJP garnered just a single^[2] seat here regardless of the enormous Modi wave.
 
The greatest superstar of South Indian Cinema on May 15 suggested that that he may join politics. Meeting with his fans^[3] in Chennai, hotshot Rajinikanth ended his hush in regards to the tremendously discussed issue of whether the superstar would join politics or not. For decades now, the land of Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran (MGR) and the latest lost icon, Jayalalitha, Rajinikanth's current articulations where he has clearly hinted that he could enter into the political arena if "god wills" has changed everything. For a state like Tamil Nadu where film stars and the silver screen have been projected onto the state’s political amphitheatre, the mere speculation of Rajinikanth’s entering politics is a sweet melody to the ears of the fans of the Thalaivar.
 
The Tamil cinema has, for the most part, focused on linguistic and cultural identity and Indian politics has additionally been worked on similar principles for a very long period.
 
"Whatever I had to say I said, now I have nothing more to say^[4]," was the actor's response when he was asked recently about union minister Pon Radhakrishnan saying the BJP "welcomes" him. He did not however say “no”. The actor said that, while he had no political ambitions, but "If God wills it, I will enter politics tomorrow^[5].” His remark is being seen as the stepping stone for setting up another career after his retirement from the movies. As far BJP's invitation is concerned "into politics or the party", Rajinikanth hasn't offered any comment yet.
 
The talk, possibility and hopes around Rajinikanth's entry into politics have assumed the form of an imaginary trailer –long time running! – of the ultimate, whimsical blockbuster in Tamil Nadu. First showing in 1995, it's been run for long years, teasing his fans but not tiring their interest. For the past 21 years, Rajini has kept the whole state in the will-he-won’t-he- mode. For some political analysts and fans, the most recent remarks signal his actual preparedness now, at this point. The only question before them is whether he will hold hands with the existing BJP or launch his own party. When the Congress held hands with Jayalalithaa in 1996, he supported the DMK^[6] and had famously stated, “Even God cannot save Tamil Nadu^[7] if AIADMK returns to power.” The DMK alliance went ahead and won those polls in a tsunami wave with Jayalalithaa losing her own seat and her party AIADMK securing just 4 seats in the 235-strong TN Assembly. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that it was Rajini who ensured Jayalalitha’s electoral rout with just a single statement.
 
The BJP desperately wants to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu and the iconic actor is one easy way in. BJP, with its overt and obvious Hindi-Hindutva-Hindustan baggage has always been perceived as an organisation and outfit of Hindi-speakers and Brahmins and that's the reason it has so failed to find an echo and footing within the anti-Hindi and anti-Brahmin Dravidian politics of the state. The party is now making a more than decent attempt to recast itself, however, it desperately needs a face in the state and only Rajinikanth has the capacity to saffronise Tamil Nadu. Rajinikanth shares a personal kinship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In April 2014^[8] just before the Lok Sabha election, Modi had approached Rajinikanth while campaigning in Chennai.
 
Former CM Jayalalitha has only left an inactive ailing Karunanidhi behind, which paves the way for superstar Rajini’s entry into politics as the most popular and importantly a clean face. On the off chance that Modi and Rajnikanth do finally hold hands, they would likely be seen as an invincible team. It seems feasible that the BJP would like to have the face and charm of Rajini, as well as Jayalalithaa to garner the maximum votes in the state. Rajinikanth has effectively communicated his regret of humiliating Jaya her in 1996, terming it as a "political accident"; this with the BJP clandestinely backing the AIADMK faction^[9] driven by O Panneerselvam(OPS) that claims to be the genuine legacy custodian of Jaya, the formula of the BJP backed by the OPS faction backed by Rajinikanth appears to be the current calculation.
 
If not Tamil Nadu and Rajinikanth as its chief minister, there are also the crucial forthcoming presidential elections. If Modi’s BJP throws this gauntlet as Rajinikanth as President, , it would be extremely difficult for either the Congress or the regional parties of the South like AIADMK, DMK, JD(S) or K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi, to oppose a glamorous non-controversial South Indian candidate like Rajinikanth for the post.  In the past, the Shiv Sena^[10] has gone against the NDA and even supported UPA’s Pratibha Patil in the name of Marathi pride. Electorally, the BJP has also begun making inroads into the South. The party opened its account in Kerala^[11] last year and has expanded its vote share from 6.3% to over 15%. The NDA will thus gain political capital for garnering Rajini as Indian President's seat and may, in this way, expect electoral gains for itself in the South, especially in Tamil Nadu for the 2019 general elections.
 
Rajinikanth’s popularity is beyond any other Indian politician today.
 
He commands the heights of adoration. He has seen fans queuing up for a few miles to have a glance of their superstar. His fans revere him like a God, purchase his film tickets en masse, and even urge him to join politics. Dissimilar to film stars of the past who have entered politics, Rajinikanth stands aloof and alone, even on questions of identity.
 
He is a Marathi by birth whose birth name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad^[12]. He hails from Karnataka and achieved stardom of epic proportions in Tamil Nadu.
 
“People keep saying I am not a Tamil,” Rajinikanth said. “Let me tell them that I spent only 23 years in Karnataka. The remaining 44, I have spent here. With their support, Tamil people have made me one of their own. I am a Pachai Tamizhan [pure Tamil]. If I am forced to leave this land, I will only head to Himalayas to be with the Yogis and not to any other state.^[13]”
 
However, given his Kannadiga roots, Rajini will be solicited to experience the ordeal of proving his Tamilian sub-patriotism each time that Karnataka turns the Cauvery tap. Rajinikanth has over 80,000 fan clubs^[14] spread across Tamil Nadu, a number greater than the supporters of any political party in the state. This popularity that he commands can also be mis-used or mis-appropriated if he becomes a full-time politician. Though high on popularity, he lacks political ideology.
 
Rajinikanth strongest hint, so far on about his political debut, was dropped on May 27when he stated “The current political situation is such that the system does not think about the people. It does nothing for them. That has to change,^[15]”. Maintaining that the political framework is "corrupt" and democracy is in a "rotten" state in Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth also urged his fans to be prepared for "war" at the right time.
 
The Dravidian politics’ domination in Tamil Nadu and Rajinikanth’s over-emphasis on spirituality and religion, both on and off cinema, has led to current speculation over whether he might eventually seek refuge under Modi and the BJP.

There have also been speculations about Thalaivar launching his own party^[16] which will then become an ally of the NDA II government. Then, his own party could be a milder version of a saffron outfit. Either which way, Rajinikanth’s entry will be a game changer for Tamil politics. Until any clear confirmation from the Thalaivar, we can only await his move with bated breath.

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