Rajinikanth fans hold demonstration, seek icon's political entry

CHENNAI: Fans of actor Rajinikanth on Sunday held a peaceful demonstration here on Sunday, demanding their screen idol take a plunge into the Tamil Nadu politics.

The actor's fans held banners reading "VaThalaivaaVa (Come Leader Come)", and "IppoIllaina, EppovumIllai (If Not Now, Never)" as they urged Rajinikanth to get into the state politics as he had announced earlier. The demonstration was held despite the request made by the RajiniMakkalMandram not to go ahead with it.

On December 29, 2020, Rajinikanth announced his decision not to get into Tamil Nadu politics, citing Covid-19 pandemic as it would risk his health condition. His volte-face came a few days after he, earlier in December, sounded his poll bugle against the ruling AIADMK as well as against the major opposition party DMK.

"The time has come to change the fate of Tamil Nadu. Political and government change in the state is important. It will surely change. The political change is important and is compulsion of time. If not now, it is not possible ever. Everything has to be changed. We will change everything," he had said. The actor had said he would float his political party in January 2021 and an announcement in that regard will be made on December 31, 2020.

However, a bout of illness forced him to change his plans. On December 31, 2017, Rajinikanth had announced his decision to float a political party to practice 'spiritual politics' and contest all 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu in 2021. (IANS)

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