Rajinikanth's new praise for PM Modi, Amit Shah after Krishna-Arjun analogy

Chennai: Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth has come up with a new description of the two leaders – "Master strategists" – meant to explain his earlier tag of "Krishna-Arjun".

"PM Modi and Amit Shah are master strategists... One gives the plan, another executes," Rajinikanth said on Wednesday. Explaining it in the context of Kashmir, he said, "Kashmir is a home for terrorists and extremists. To impose curfew in Kashmir and to pass it in upper house first is a master strategy."

Earlier this week, Rajinikanth drew criticism with praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Amit Shah for abrogation of Article 370.

"PM and Amit Shah are like Lord Krishna and Arjuna. But we don't know who is Krishna and who is Arjuna," the actor had said on Sunday, setting the opposition buzzing.

The Congress had questioned how the two compare to Krishna and Arjuna.

PM Modi and Amit Shah combine are not Krishna and Arjuna, he said and asked: "How can those who snatched away the rights of crores of people could be Krishna and Arjuna? Dear Rajinikanth, please read Mahabharat again, please go through it again properly," Tamil Nadu Congress leader said.

On Wednesday, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi had weighed in. If PM and Amit Shah are Krishna and Arjuna, "Who are the Pandavas and Kauravas? Do you want another 'Mahabharat' in the country?" Owaisi had questioned while addressing a gathering on Eid.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram asked the Superstar "to read German History between 1930 and 1945".

The BJP had received widespread support for the bills to formalise its plan on Jammu and Kashmir.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation bill has received support from opposition parties like Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party and Arvind Kejriwal, besides parties like Naveen Patnaik's Biju Danata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and YSR Congress, which lend issue-based support to the Centre.

Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK has also supported the bill. But it was opposed by the state's opposition DMK and actor-politician Kamal Haasan.