Rajinikanth Faces Potential Ban From Karnataka: Vatal Nagaraj Issues Warning Over Cauvery Issue

Rajinikanth Faces Potential Ban From Karnataka: Pro-Kannada activist Vatal Nagaraj has urged superstar Rajinikanth to address the ongoing Cauvery dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

These comments coincide with the Karnataka bandh organized on Friday by pro-Kannada groups led by Nagaraj, protesting the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Nagaraj emphasised that Rajinikanth, who was born in Karnataka and grew up drinking Cauvery water, has a responsibility to speak out about the long-standing water-sharing conflict between the two states.

"Rajinikanth, born and raised in Karnataka, must use his voice to address the issue. We call on him to step forward and express his views. Failure to do so may result in a call for him to refrain from visiting Karnataka or screening his films in the state." Vatal Nagaraj said.

On Wednesday, accompanied by his supporters, Nagaraj paid a visit to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce office in Bengaluru. During this visit, he urged Kannada actors to actively participate in the Karnataka bandh scheduled for Friday. He stated, "The Karnataka Film Chamber should wholeheartedly support the Karnataka bandh, and we encourage Kannada film actors to join us in demonstrating their support for the Cauvery issue on Friday."

Kannada actors such as Darshan Thoogudeepa, Kichcha Sudeep, Shivarajkumar, and more have begun expressing their concerns regarding the Cauvery issue in response to social media criticism, which had previously called them out for their silence on the matter. Recently, during a speech at a farmers' event in Mysuru, Darshan took a subtle swipe at a Kannada producer who was involved in the distribution of Rajinikanth's film "Jailer." Notably, the Tamil movie "Jailer," released not long ago, achieved substantial earnings, crossing the Rs 52 crore mark in Karnataka.

Siddharth Forced To Leave Press Conference By Angry Protestors

Yesterday, the press conference for Tamil actor Siddharth's recently released movie 'Chiththa' was disrupted by pro-Cauvery activists in Bengaluru. The press conference was taking place in Bengaluru, a city that has been at the centre of the dispute with Tamil Nadu regarding the sharing of water from the Cauvery River.

The activists demanded the press conference be stopped immediately, criticising the event for not actively supporting the Cauvery water dispute while they believed it was essential to address this issue rather than conducting a press conference.

In Karnataka, protests have erupted due to the distribution of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. These protests come in response to the Supreme Court's recent decision not to intervene in the enforcement of water-sharing agreements between the states, as well as the rulings of the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.

The Cauvery water dispute is a persistent issue that has frequently generated tensions between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.