Rajini's emotional appeal to protesters, says he is pained

Expressing deep anguish over the incidents of violence during the pro-jallikattu struggle across Tamil Nadu, superstar Rajinikanth appealed to the protesters to call off the agitation immediately.

In a statement, Rajinkanth appealed to the protesters not to give any room for some antisocial elements to capitalise on the their hard-fought struggle earning goodwill and name and to tarnish the image of police force that gave protection to them during the days of struggle. He asked them to call off the agitation immediately.

"You should not allow them (anti-social elements) to bring disrepute to your movement and goodwill, besides the police who have been supportive of your protests," he said.

"I humbly request you to immediately end this protest," he added, urging that the assurance by the central and state governments of a permanent solution should be respected.

"At this juncture, I am grieved to see certain incidents," he said in an apparent reference to the violence and the police crackdown.

He said some "anti-social elements" were now trying to bring disrepute to the students' movement and the goodwill earned by them and asked them not to allow this.

He also added that miscreants have been trying to hijack the very peaceful protests.