IPL match protests: Rajini condemns attack on cops

Superstar Rajinikanth has come down hard on protestors attacking police personnel during the protests that were staged outside the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chepauk on Tuesday.

The actor, in a tweet, said, “The worst form of violence in a law and order situation is an attack on uniformed personnel on duty. This form of violence has to be tackled immediately as it poses a grave danger to our country. We need more stringent laws to punish the perpetrators of attack(s) on police personnel on duty.”

On Tuesday, a number of groups, including the Naam Tamizhar Katchi led by director Seeman, and the newly formed Tamizhar Kalai Illakiya Panpaatu Peravai, led by a number of Tamil film directors including veteran director Bharathirajaa and National Award winners Ameer and Vetrimaran, staged protests at the Chepauk with the intention of preventing the IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders from happening.

The protestors wanted the IPL matches to be stopped as they felt holding such matches at a time when the state was on the boil over the manner in which it was being short changed by the Centre in the Cauvery issue, amounted it to being mocked.

The protestors were under the impression that if they stopped the match from happening, it would draw attention to the fact that the Centre had been deceiving Tamil Nadu, by not constituting the Cauvery Management Board, under one pretext or the other.

However, during yesterday’s protests some violent incidents were reported. Protestors were seen attacking spectators and policemen.

To bring the situation under control, police resorted to a lathicharge. Although the match happened without any untoward incident, the behaviour of the protestors has come in for widespread condemnation.