Actor-politician Rajinikanth congratulated PM Modi and Amit Shah on centre's Kashmir move. (PTI)
Highlights
- Rajinikanth congratulated Amit Shah on Kashmir decision
- PM Modi, Amit Shah like Lord Krishna and Arjuna, he said
- The Centre ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir last week
Actor-politician Rajinikanth on Sunday congratulated Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the government's move to end the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state. He also hailed him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "Krishna and Arjuna".
"My heartfelt congratulations to Amit Shah for Mission Kashmir. Hats off," Rajinikanth said at a book release function in Chennai.
PM and Amit Shah, he said, were like Lord Krishna and Arjuna. However, "we don't know who is Krishna and who is Arjuna," added the actor, who plans to launch his political party ahead of the 2021 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
Last week, the Centre ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir through a Presidential order and announced that the state would be split it into two union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The bills were passed within days with the help of several opposition parties and non-aligned parties like Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
The government's move has received support from the state's ruling AIADMK, which also backed the bills in parliament.
But it has been strongly criticised by the opposition DMK and Kamal Haasan. The actor-politician, who launched his party Makkal Needhi Maiam or MNM last year in Tamil Nadu, said the government's move was a "clear assault on democracy".
"It is extremely regressive and autocratic. Article 370 and 35A have a genesis. Any change has to be in a consultative manner," Mr Haasan has said.
While the government said its goal was to fully integrate the region with the rest of country, several opposition parties, led by the Congress said it will have far-reaching political and social consequences and can trigger unrest in the state.