Anti-social elements indulged in arson in Thoothukudi: Rajinikanth
Thoothukudi, May 30: Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth on Wednesday said that anti-social elements indulged in arson and violence in Thoothukudi during protests against the Sterlite factory that led to the death of 13 people in police firing.
Rajinikanth visited the injured people admitted in a government hospital here and consoled them.
His comments underscores the stand of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami who earlier said anti-social elements got violent during the demonstration against the Sterlite Copper smelter plant, which the protesters said was destroying the farm lands and leading to severe health issues in the area.
Talking to reporters, Rajinikanth pointed out that those who indulged in arson were not general public and that it was a failure of the intelligence department to have not detected it.
The superstar said of late, anti-social elements have become active in Tamil Nadu and praised late Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa for having kept them under control in her tenure.
Urging the current state government to follow in Jayalalithaa's steps, he said if they fail to control the miscreants, the state will face a grave danger. If the state turns into an arena of protests, then investments will not come in resulting in non-creation of jobs, he said.
Rajinikanth also dismissed the opposition's demand that Palaniswami should quit over the violence, saying resignation is not the answer to all problems but added that he does not have faith in the one person inquiry commission announced by the state government.
Welcoming Rajinikanth's comments on anti-social elements resorting to violence in Thuthookudi on May 22, Tamil Nadu BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said regardless of criticism, it is only right to tell the truth.
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LPG crunch hits Mangaluru, canteens, hotels shut
Mangaluru: After major cities including Bengaluru and Chennai, the LPG shortage crisis has also struck Mangaluru now.
Reports are emerging about the closure of several hotels, canteens and street food outlets in the city.
The shortage is triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has been worsening day by day.
According to reports, several hotels, canteens and street food preparation units have been forced to shut down operations in some areas due to the lack of commercial LPG cylinders.
In Dakshina Kannada district, hotels, restaurants and street food stalls have reportedly remained closed for the past two to three days in several locations.
On Saturday as well, hotel owners in many parts of the district, including Mangaluru city, faced difficulties in obtaining commercial gas cylinders.
Some establishments had stocked cylinders in advance and managed to continue operations for a few days.
However some owners said they may have no option but to shut down if the shortage continues.
The impact of the situation has also been felt in the fisheries sector.
Fishermen said that there is strong demand from abroad for fish varieties such as shrimp, anjal, manji and bondas, which are usually exported. However, restrictions on the movement of container ships have affected the fishing industry as well.
Leaders of the hotel owners’ associations in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts have urged the authorities to distribute LPG cylinders equally to their sector as well.
They warned that if the supply is not ensured, more hotels may have to shut down.
At present, district administrations have prioritised LPG supply for essential sectors including domestic households, educational institutions, hospitals, hostels, dormitories and religious institutions.
Meanwhile, a few hotels that still use fire wood for cooking have continued their operations.
Meanwhile, timber traders have also said that even firewood is now facing a shortage, as supply is unable to meet the rising demand.
