Rajinikanth in Darbar
A movie picture from Rajinikanth's Darbar.PR Handout

Superstar Rajinikanth has slammed the central government after 23 people were killed and nearly 200 injured in violent clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters in North-East Delhi in the last couple of days. He said that the riots should have been dealt with an iron fist.

The actor recalled his earlier statement wherein he had said that he will be the first person to come in the support of the Muslim community if the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) affected them in anyway. He also condemned the central government saying that it is an intelligence failure.

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"Definitely it is Central government's intelligence failure. I strongly condemn the Central government," Rajinikanth told reporters in Chennai.

Earlier, Rajinikanth had said that the political parties for their own self-interest and religious leaders were joining the protesters, which was wrong.

Answering reporters over his silence on the CAA, Rajinikanth said the Central government has clearly said that Indian citizens will not be affected by the Act.

He said Indian Muslims have stayed back here in their "janmabhoomi" during the partition in 1947, and how could they be sent back.

"If something like that happens, I, Rajinikanth will be the first person to voice in their support if they were affected," he said.

(With IANS Inputs)