When Rajinikanth visited Thoothukudi firing victims in a hospital, a young man, who was injured during the anti-Sterlite protests, asked the actor: “Who are you?”

When the actor replied that his name is Rajinikanth and he came from Chennai, the young man shot back: “I know that. But I would like to ask why you came today and not when we were on the streets demanding the closure of Sterlite Cooper?”.

The reply flabbergasted the actor and he left the ward abruptly.

Rajinikanth had said that police resorted to firing on people during anti-Sterlite protests in Thootukudi (which is also called Tuticorin) only after “anti-social elements” unleashed violence.

Speaking to reporters, the actor said he can never tolerate violence on men in khaki and asked the Tamil Nadu government to follow late chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s iron fist policy in controlling the anti-social elements and miscreants.