Cauvery issue: Actors stage protest in Chennai, Rajinikanth says CSK players must wear black badges

CHENNAI: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Sunday said Chennai Super Kings players must wear black badges during the IPL matches to express their opposition to the Centre which has failed to constitute a Cauvery management board.

The actor made the statement before leaving from his Poes Garden residence for Valluvar Kottam where the Tamil film fraternity turned out in large numbers to protest against the Centre.

Rajinikanth said, "The Centre will be subject to the anger of the Tamil people if it does not form the Cauvery management board. If the IPL games in the city cannot be banned, CSK players must at least wear black badges during the matches as a form of protest."


The superstar said the decision to appoint M K Surappa from Karnataka as Anna University vice-chancellor was unacceptable. "It is not right to play politics with education. Appointing a vice-chancellor from Karnataka at this juncture is wrong."

Asked if he saw fellow actor Kamal Haasan as an enemy in politics, Rajinikanth said only poverty, unemployment and corruption were his enemies.

Nadigar Sangam president Nasser, who led the protest Valluvar Kottam, said the film industry also wanted the Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin to be shut down.

The film industry protest saw Kamal and Rajinikanth share the stage. Participants in the protest included Ilaiyaraaja, Vijay, Vishal, Vijay Sethupathi, Dhanush, Karthi, Siva Karthikeyan, Vairamuthu, Lingusamy and several others.