Rajinikanth ePass Controversy: What Medical Emergency Prompted The Superstar To Travel From Home To Farmhouse?

Superstar Rajinikanth travelled from his Chennai home to his farmhouse in another district amid restrictions on inter-district movement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Updated on: 24 July 2020 1:23 pm

The unknown 'medical emergency' Rajinikanth cited to travel from his home in central Chennai to his farm house in Kelambakkam on July 23 has sparked a controversy. Only the superstar can explain the urgency, but he has not spoken yet.

Rajinikanth had cited a ‘medical emergency’ as the reason to procure an ePass as there are restrictions on inter-district travel in Tamil Nadu due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those wanting to travel for urgent situations like medical reasons, marriage or death of family members, have to apply on the government’s website created for the purpose. They have to upload supporting documents with their online application.

There have been complaints that even genuine applications get rejected and the applicants have to contact higher officials to procure an ePass. The police also arrested a few government officials and touts who were supplying ePass for money.

Under these circumstances, an ePass to facilitate Rajinikanth’s drive from his Poes Garden residence in central Chennai to his farm house in Kelambakkam – about 30 kms away and located in the neighbouring Chengalpattu District – on Thursday has raised eyebrows. People have raised questions if the 68-year-old actor got the permission by providing wrong information.

Chengalpattu district collector John Louis said an enquiry would be held if there was any discrepancy in the issue of the ePass.

Moreover, before the superstar got himself an ePass for his latest travel, videos showing him drive a Lamborghini (his younger son-in-law’s car) near his farmhouse last week had flooded the internet.

On Thursday evening, after the ePass issuance, political commentator Dr. Sumanth Raman wondered if the pass was an afterthought since Rajinikanth had been shown walking in his farmhouse on July 21. “The ePass is for the July 23. How is this valid for 21st when photos of his walk were on Twitter? Also, what is the medical emergency? Sorry, the system is not good,” Raman had quipped.

Rajinikanth had announced his entry into politics after alleging that the “system is not good.” Now he is being questioned for misusing the same system for his benefit.