Never supported killing of innocent Tamils: Muralitharan on biopic uproar

Chennai: Former Sri Lanka cricketer Muthiah Muralitharan -- who is at the centre of a massive controversy involving his upcoming biopic "800" -- has rubbished allegations that he celebrated the deaths of innocent Tamil people and made a controversial remark about it in 2009, when the decades-long civil war in the island nation ended.

"I had said that in 2009 -- to be the happiest day in my life, having in mind the end of the war and loss of lives on both sides. This (his remark) is being twisted as,' The day Tamils were killed and heaped was the happiest day in my life'. I had never supported killing of innocents and I would never do (ever),"he said.

Muralitharan's clarification comes as several Tamil groups and politicians in Tamil Nadu have urged actor Vijay Sethupathy - who is to play the role of the legendary off-spinner - to dump the film. Explaining why he agreed to the film, the former cricketer said the biopic will bring recognition to his parents and the others who groomed him.

"I know the pain of the war. I grew up in Sri Lanka amid war for over 30 years. My father was hacked when I was seven. Many times, we were on the streets," he added.

There have been allegations for decades that the Tamils in the island nation are discriminated against.

The LTTE, an armed Lankan Tamil group that waged an armed struggle for several years, was crushed by the Lankan forces in 2009. Massive human rights violations and deaths of more than a lakh Tamil civilians in bombings had been reported during the final phase of the war against the LTTE.