Chennai, March 14 TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna has stirred controversy by claiming that the DMK "threatened" Tamil film superstar Rajinikanth when he tried to enter politics, and his remarks led to a strong backlash from the actor's fans and former advisor.
Rajinikanth's former advisor, Ra Arjunamurthy, strongly condemned the remarks and urged TVK founder Vijay to take action against Arjuna.
Tamil Nadu Minister S Regupathy lashed out at TVK for the allegations, stating that the Vijay-led party was attempting to gain political mileage by spreading a "lie."
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Regupathy said that Rajini was a supporter of the DMK and had voiced his support for the party.
"Rajinikanth cannot be threatened. Everyone knows this. To say that the DMK threatened him is a blatant lie. Vijay's party is saying this in order to gain political advantage," Regupathy said, pointing out that Rajini had supported the DMK in the 1996 election.
Addressing party members during a protest against the state government on March 12, Aadhav Arjuna, TVK general secretary, alleged that the DMK threatened Rajinikanth when he tried to enter politics.
Arjuna maintained that he was not criticizing the actor but wanted to highlight that TVK founder Vijay had the courage to withstand such pressure.
However, his comments drew spontaneous criticism from various quarters, including Rajinikanth's fans.
"Rajinikanth is not someone who fears threats. He stepped away from politics during the pandemic due to the risk of infection spread at gatherings. He wanted to avoid loss of lives due to the virus," said S Ravi, a member of Rajinikanth's fan club, to reporters.
"Not everyone who gathers at meetings can become a leader," he remarked.
In a letter addressed to Vijay, Rajinikanth's former advisor and TN BJP NGO Cell state president, Ra Arjunamurthy, posted on the social media platform 'X', said that Aadhav Arjuna was creating unnecessary conflicts and showing disrespect to prominent personalities.
"For a political movement to grow, it must be built on knowledge, experience, and humility. It is not a strength for any leader to have people in the party who lack a proper understanding of politics. This will become a major political liability over time," Arjunamurthy stated.
Specifically, belittling Rajinikanth, who enjoys great respect and affection from the people, will not elevate anyone but will only hurt the feelings of the Tamil people, he added, and demanded that Aadhav Arjuna be removed from the party.