Actor and political newbie Rajinikanth is two weeks away to launch his political party and to unveil his political game that has been expected by his fans for over decades. While he is preparing to launch the political party with the assertion that he would be contesting in assembly polls, he would be facing a new tension in January through his speech that he made about the Thoothukudi protests and massacre that held in 2018. 

In May 2018, the Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu had witnessed riots and police firing after the law enforcement agency had opened fire against the protesters who were protesting and urging the government to shut down the Sterlite Copper plant in the district as the people residing around the plant had feared that it posses a huge threat to their lives by contaminating water and pushing them to suffer more diseases. 

In a collective voice of shutting down the plant, hundreds of thousands of people in the district had staged staunch protests nearly for a hundred days. The protests were unprecedented and the agitations had gained national attention with the voices for closing the plant had intensified across the nation. However, when the protests got widespread, the police department had opened fire on the protesters by alleging that anti-social elements have intruded in the protests and caused communal riots. 

The police shooting had killed 13 people including a student. The incident happened on May 22, 2018, which sparked massive outrage and resentments against the state government as there were agitations across the state condemning the act of violence. Following severe protests, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had issued a notice on May 23, 2018, ordering the plant to shut down. 

The incident had also injured many and actor Rajinikanth had traveled to Thootukudi on May 30, 2018, and visited the injured people and while he was addressing the reporters about the protests and police firing, Rajinikanth claimed that the intrusion of anti-social elements was the reason for the riots which forced police to open fire. By citing that the protests will turn Tamil Nadu into a graveyard, Rajinikanth asserted that he knew who was behind the riots and he would reveal it at the right place. 

In wake of the protests, the government had set up a special commission headed by former Justice of Madras High Court Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the riots and police-firing. The special commission is based in Thoothukudi and has been probing the matter. As Rajinikanth had told that he knew who was behind the riots, the special commission has issued a summon to the actor directing him to appear before the commission on February 25, 2020, to disclose his statement. 

However, on February 4, Rajinikanth said that he would extend full cooperation to the commission and by citing that the public could face inconvenience if he visits Thoothukudi, the superstar had sought exemption from appearing before the commission. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the probe of the commission has come to a halt. Nearly eight months after the shutdown, the counsel of the commission has now said that the actor would be called for an inquiry during January 2021. 

Speaking to the reporters, the counsel of the commission Arul Vadivel has on Thursday said that Rajinikanth is likely to be summoned for an inquiry during the 24th sitting of the commission next January. Arul Vadivel said that the actor has taken part in the shootings and he is likely to be summoned next month. The development has come at a high time when the actor is preparing to launch his political party and as the summoning would come in parallel to his political entry, Rajinikanth would be pushed to face a new tension when he would be busy in his politics.