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 “Va Thalaiva Va (Come Leader Come)”, and “Ippo Illaina, Eppovum Illai (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 Rajini Makkal Mandram not to go ahead with it.
On 29 December 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. Political change is important and is a 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 31 December 2020.
However, a bout of illness forced him to change his plans.
On 31 December 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.