Vatal Nagaraj's advise to Rajinikanth: 'Learn from Simbu when dealing with sensitive issues'

Vatal Nagaraj, the president of Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha, has called for a ban on Rajinikanth's Kaala over the Tamil actor's stand on the formation of Cauvery Management Board. He has slammed the superstar while advising him to learn from Simbu in dealing with sensitive issues bothering the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Talking to the International Business Times, India, the pro-Kannada activist says, "Rajinikanth has taken an anti-Karnataka stand. So, his movies should not be released in the state from now on. Earlier, he used to be part of government-sponsored protests, but now he has turned politician and has demanded the centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB),"

Rajinikanth's Kaala is scheduled for release on June 7. Goldie Films has acquired the Karnataka theatrical rights of the Tamil flick. Now, pro-Kannada groups with the support of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce is are opposing the release. 

Praising Simbu for his efforts to unite the people of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Nagaraj says, "I appreciate Tamil actor Simbu for displaying maturity. He said 'the issue should be sorted out through talks' and spoke against his own men who held a protest demanding the formation of CMB. Rajinikanth should learn from Simbu and should have behaved like him. He should have played the role of mediator between two states, speaking to the concerned people from both the sides,"

The former MLA recalls DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi's earlier attempts to solve the issues. "He had met the then Karnataka Chief Minister Veerendra Pail to find a solution and similarly during JH Patel's tenure. But instead of initiating talks, Rajini talks about SC order and putting pressure on the centre," Vatal Nagaraj fumes.

"We do not have personal issues with anyone nor we hate Tamils. Also, we are not against giving water to Tamil Nadu, but how can we release when it is not sufficient for our daily needs," he adds.

According to him, the CMB is against the interest of the farmers of Karnataka. "Further, there is a history of our dams and our state will have no control over its water bodies," he claims.

On reminding him about Kamal Haasan calling for the farmers from both the sides to solve the issue without political intervention, "If he was honest he should not have spoken about CMB," Nagaraj quips. 

He ends on the note that their stand will not change even if Rajinikanth gives an apology like Sathyaraj did during the release of Baahubali 2.

Kannada Okkoota, a forum of pro-Kannada organisations led by Vatal Nagaraj had demanded for the ban on SS Rajamouli's Baahubali 2 over Sathyaraj's comment against Karnataka. 

Cauvery Row

In February, the Supreme Court had delivered its final verdict on the longstanding dispute among the South Indian states over Cauvery water sharing. The apex court reduced Tamil Nadu's share of water and ordered the Centre to form Cauvery Management Board within six weeks.

With the Centre failing to constitute the board before the March 29 deadline set by the SC, the political parties in Tamil Nadu have putting pressure on the BJP-led NDA government demanding the formation of the board at the earliest.