Famous Tamil actor Rajinikanth showered praise on the ruling DMK, particularly Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, “a rising star in Tamil Nadu politics”. He made these comments at the launch of a new book on party patriarch Kalaignar MK Karunanidhi. Rajinikanth’s remarks about the DMK leaders are notable, particularly given his recent political activities and past statements.

Praise For Udayanidhi Stalin

Rajinikanth attended the launch of the book “Kalaignar Enum Thaai” (Kalaignar, The Mother), written by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Minister EV Velu about the late party patriarch and five-time state CM, Kalaignar MK Karunanidhi.

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the book, while Rajinikanth received the first copy.

In his speech, Rajinikanth went on to praise DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin, who shot to national fame after he called for eradicating Sanatana Dharma (aka Hinduism), comparing the religion to diseases like mosquitoes, dengue, corona, and flu.

“Respectable, honourable and affectionate… Having just recently entered politics, after having worked hard, and developing a signature style of speech, having earned a great reputation and pride among people and the cadres, a man who has been proving that he has a great future in politics, my beloved brother Udhayanidhi Stalin”, Rajinikanth began his speech.

Praise for N Ram

He also praised The Hindu’s N. Ram and called him a good friend for a long time.

“I don’t have to say anything about The Hindu. A newspaper with a legacy of more than 100 years. I don’t think anyone in India wouldn’t be knowing about ‘The Hindu’. If something comes in The Hindu paper, it resembles Supreme Court judgement. We can talk many things about how they research and publish about something. And Ram belongs to that (S. Kasturi Ranga Iyengar) family. He is a man of courage. As EV Velu said, he has his ideology, and he speaks and writes what he thinks is right.” Rajinikanth said.

It is an open secret that N Ram has nothing but contempt for the BJP and hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has been a vocal supporter of DMK and the newspaper has been functioning like a party’s mouthpiece. N Ram’s credibility as the publisher of ‘The Hindu’ came down after the newspaper published doctored information about the so-called Rafale jet scam.

Praise for Karunanidhi

Praising DMK Minister EV Velu, Rajinikanth said, “Kalaignar had called him a man who works hard without the need to launch. I’ll talk about him later.” In the later part of his speech, he said that the DMK minister had taken great care of him during the shooting of his film Lal Salaam by accommodating him in the guest house of his engineering college in Tiruvanamalai.

In August 2023, EV Velu called Bharat a “distant north Indian country” and even called for creating a separate “Dravida Nadu.”

Rajinikanth said he was hesitant to speak to such an august audience of intellectuals. It seemed like an attempt to apologize for his remarks a few years earlier at Thuglak’s 50th anniversary when he said, “Those who read Murasoli can be identified as a DMK person. But those who read Thuglak are intelligent“.

He said that as he prepared for his speech, he was clear about what to say and what not to say.

The actor then praised MK Stalin, saying, “After Stalin sir became Chief Minister, all the elections he faced, including the Parliament elections and getting a thumping victory, are enough to talk about his leadership, hard work, and political knowledge.”

Mocking ADMK

Taking a sly jibe at ADMK, Rajinikanth said “You must’ve seen how after the demise of a party founder or its leader, the next-rung of leaders who come after that, the struggle they go through to save that party, the many people who fail and how they’re suffering. You must have seen and heard about all this. But look at how he (Stalin) has done it easily.”

Rajinikanth then praised Stalin for managing and deftly handling senior leaders in the party.

“One astonishing thing is.. whenever a school teacher comes, the new students won’t be any problem. They can be easily managed. There are these old students, managing them is no ordinary feat. There are so many old students (senior leaders) here. So many of them. And they’re no ordinary old students. They’re extraordinary. They are not failed students. They’re rank holders who refuse to leave the class. Those who have been raise by Kalaignar since young, do you think managing them is easy? No one else, just take Duraimurugan. He’s a man who had hoodwinked Kalaignar himself. When you say something to him, he’ll reply – ‘Is it? Good!“. We never know if he meant good in a good way or a bad way. Stalin sir, hats off to you!”, Rajinikanth said as the audience burst into laughter.

He also went on to praise EV Velu and his book about Karunanidhi. “The Only thing is that the book is priced at ₹1000. Definitely, the quality of the book deserves the price, but the book has to be read by a lot of people.”

He then went on to adulate Karunanidhi, saying that he was a man who fought for a race and the welfare of society.

“Karunanidhi is a Mahaan”

Speaking about the criticisms faced by Karunanidhi, Rajinikanth said “Criticisms are required. It should be like rain, not like a storm. If it is like a storm, even large trees would fall. But this (Karunanidhi) is a banyan tree whose roots are strong. His brethren – those roots are very deep and very strong. Nothing can shake that tree.”

He further said, “Can someone save a party despite not being in power for 12-13 years? Those who haven’t been in power for 5 years are scrambling.” This was an apparent dig at AIADMK.

“He can even be called a ‘mahaan’. Even after their death, their fame only keeps growing. When Bharathiyar died, not even 15 people were there for his funeral. But today? Like that, the fame [of Karunanidhi] will keep increasing by the day. Many books should be written about him. A movie has to be made; that is my request.“, Rajinikanth said.

This is not the first time Rajinikanth has praised the DMK and its late patriarch, Karunanidhi.

Earlier in February 2024, during the inauguration of the revamped Karunanidhi memorial in Marina Beach, Chennai, Rajnikanth said, “Yes, sir, I have seen all the mausoleums. It is amazing and charming, more like a Kalaingar’s Taj Mahal than a Kalaingar’s mausoleum.”

Before that, in October 2023, he penned an emotional article in the DMK mouthpiece ‘Murasoli‘ to honour the late CM, as part of the centenary celebrations. Ironically, the same Murasoli had ridiculed him a couple of times.

About Karunanidhi

Karunanidhi, born Dakshinamurthy,  became the DMK president after its founder, CN Annadurai. He was a close follower of anti-Hindu bigot EV Ramasamy Naicker, who was hailed as “Periyar” by his followers.

On several occasions, Karunanidhi has kept the flame of a separate “Dravida Nadu” alive. He led DMK’s Kovilpatti conference 1951, outlining plans for a prolonged fight for an independent Dravida Nadu or South India.

During the centenary celebrations of the Dravidian movement in 2012, Karunanidhi asserted that the Dravidian ideology would be strengthened, and a Dravidian State would be achieved if possible.

Karunanidhi’s ascension to the top post made the DMK a dynastic party under his family’s stranglehold. Karunanidhi has made several controversial statements regarding Hindus and Hinduism. In one such remark in 2002, he referred to Hindus as ‘thieves’.

At that time, Karunanidhi argued that all he said was that even those who supported the Hindu religion interpreted the word Hindu as a thief. “Maybe it means someone who steals the heart.”, he had said during the controversy.

Karunanidhi had called for the Sethusamudra project, which involves demolishing Ram Setu, which runs from Rameswaram in India to Mannar Island in Sri Lanka.

In 2007 the Sethusamudram project was withdrawn due to technical difficulties of shallow water. Against this backdrop, Karunanidhi rhetorically asked, “Who is this Raman? In which engineering college did he study and become a civil engineer? When did he build this so-called bridge? Is there any evidence for this?”

He also wrote short stories and sometimes employed Hindu deities as characters in his stories, often distorting and misrepresenting them with sexual perversion.

He has also abused his political opponents.

There are several instances where the late former Chief Minister Karunanidhi insulted and mocked Kamaraj. During his tenure as Chief Minister, he mandated that all panchayat council chiefs be addressed as “Perunthalaivar.”

However, this directive was rescinded on 3 April 1987 after MG Ramachandran (MGR) assumed power. Murasoli published several cartoons mocking Kamarajar (sometimes with racist and casteist insinuations).

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