Rajnikant fans star in vendetta saga

Rajnikant’s fans have an old score to settle with Ramadoss and the PMK. Nearly two years ago, with no immediate provocation, Ramadoss had lashed out against Rajnikant’s on-screen mannerisms — like the cigarette that always dangled from his lips — saying that the actor was a bad influence on the youth. He had even asked his party cadre to boycott Rajnikant’s film Baba and stay away from the actor’s fan clubs. Rajnikant’s fans had then vowed to exact revenge at election time. And that time has now come.

What has brought matters to a boiling point is a recent attack on Rajnikant’s fans by PMK members. The incident took place on April 2 when Rajnikant’s followers gathered at Madurai to disrupt a rally being addressed by Ramadoss. Several of Rajnikant’s fans had to be hospitalised and the incident may affect the fortunes of the DPA as a whole.

The only person who seems to have gained from the situation is AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa — known for her past animosity towards the southern superstar. She now watches with amusement as Rajnikant fans go after their new enemy — the DPA — which also happens to be her rival.

K.C. Sathyanaryana, the president of the Rajni Fans’ Association, has told the members to formally oppose PMK candidates. And with the DPA leadership not distancing itself from the PMK, the animosity has trickled down against DPA candidates too. The star has kept silent against the attack on his fans, apart from terming it a ‘‘demonic deed of Ramadoss’’ in a statement from Sringeri. He has also promised to ‘‘open his heart out’’ on the subject, and his fans hope this could be the precursor to his entering politics.