The Madras High Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed against actor Rajinikanth over his remarks on rationalist leader E. V. Ramasamy 'Periyar' as the petitioners withdrew the plea.

Justice P. Rajamanickam was hearing the petition by Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, a fringe outfit.

State public prosecutor A. Natarajan submitted the petitioners had approached the court without seeking the alternative remedy available to them.

Justice Rajamanickam asked the counsel for the petitioners if they would withdraw the petition.

After the counsels admitted they would do so, the judge recorded the same and dismissed the plea.

Rajinikanth made the controversial remarks against Periyar recently at an event organised here by Tamil magazine Thuglak.

'In 1971, at Salem, Periyar took out a rally in which the undressed images of Lord Sriramachandramoorthy and Sita - with a garland of sandal-featured ....,' he had said.