Following protests by the pro-Tamil groups such as Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), superstar Rajinikanth has decided not to participate in the Jaffna event, which is scheduled for April 9.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala shared Rajinikanth’s letter on Twitter. In the letter, Rajini says, “I will not participate in the event, although I disagree with the reasons stated by Thirumavalavan and Vaiko.”
Rajinikanth says that the reason he wanted to visit Lanka was to see the places where Tamils lived. He also mentions that he wanted to meet Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, to find a solution for the pertaining fishermen problem.
Taking a dig at politics, Rajinikanth says he’s not a politician, but a mere artist. As per a statement released by Lyca Productions, Rajinikanth was supposed to visit Jaffna to hand over keys built for Tamils by Gnanam Foundation.
However, the fringe groups alleged that Lyca Productions is based in Lanka, and protested against Rajinikanth for the same. Over the years, Eelam is one issue that has spawned several heated debates across Tamil Nadu.
In fact, some of the pro-Tamil groups protested against Ilayathalapathy Vijay’s Kaththi (2014) and called for a ban on the film, which was also produced by Lyca Productions. 2.0, directed by Shankar, also star Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson and Sudhanshu Pandey, and will hit the screens on Diwali day, this year. - India Today