Rajinikanth Spoke Like PM Modi, Says RSS Ideologue

Chennai: RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy has welcomed Rajinikanth’s statements on joining politics, saying the Tamil superstar is making well thought out statements.

“I think Rajini is making well thought out statements. It evokes memories of a time when, as newly elected Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had hit out at corruption and said ‘Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga (Won’t take bribes, won’t let anyone else take bribes),” Gurumurthy told News18.

In an open interaction with his fans on Monday, Rajinikanth said, “Right now God is using me as an actor, but I can’t say anything about the future. If God decides that I join politics, then I will do so.” The actor indicated his preference was for value-based politics, saying, “If in case I decide to join politics, I won’t allow wrong people to join me. I’ll keep them away.”

Gururmurthy, also the co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, said that the actor distancing himself from the support he showed to the DMK-TMC alliance in the 1996 elections was very significant in the wake of his statement. “I committed a mistake by supporting a political alliance 21 years back, it was a political accident,”Rajinikanth said on Monday.

During the PV Narasimha Rao government in the nineties, Rajinikanth had begun to support the Indian National Congress (INC). However, he shifted allegiance to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) alliance after the Congress decided to align itself with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met him in Chennai, but both later clarified the visit was just a courtesy call.