Vaa Thalaivaa! Vaa!: Rajinikanth's fans converge in Chennai, ask him to take political plunge

“We want our leader (Rajinikanth) to recover and ensure that he launches a political party very soon. We want change in govt and politics,” a fan said

Hundreds of fans on Tamil superstar Rajinikanth gathered at Valluvar Kottam here on Sunday demanding that he “reconsider” his decision not to launch a political party and contest the 2021 Assembly elections.

The fans, who came from various parts of Tamil Nadu, raised slogans like “Vaa Thalaivaa! Vaa!” (Come Leader, Come) and “Ippo Illana Eppavaum Illa” (If not now, never) and told the actor that he had the strength and conviction to “beat anything” in the world.

Read: Rajinikanth exits as political reality kicks in

Speakers at the event organised by fans of Rajinikanth urged the actor to “reconsider” his decision and take the political plunge to “save Tamil Nadu". They said there was none other than him to bring the change that the people of the state have been “yearning for” the past few years.

“We want our leader (Rajinikanth) to recover and ensure that he launches a political party very soon. We want change in government and politics,” a fan at the protest said.

Fans began to assemble since 7 am at the protest site even as the agitation was to begin at 10 am. The number of fans at the protest only increased every hour. The fans of the actor also trended a couple of hashtags like #ArasiyalukkuVaangaRajini (Come to politics, Rajini) on Twitter, in a bid to express their sentiments.

Also Read | Rajinikanth: From a definite announcement to the withdrawal

The fans of the superstar have been “upset” with his decision with a handful of them protesting outside the actor's Poes Garden residence on the day he announced that he will not enter politics. However, the actor is unlikely to heed to voices from his fans as he is said to be planning to go abroad for further treatment.

The “protest” comes almost a fortnight after Rajinikanth bid goodbye to politics citing “poor health". The 70-year-old actor, who underwent a renal transplant in 2016, was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad on December 25, six days before he was to announce the date of launch of his political party after his blood pressure showed “severe fluctuations".

Also Read: The unpredictability of Rajinikanth and his politics

Though he was discharged on December 27, doctors advised him not to indulge in activities that would put him at risk of catching Covid-19 infection. Two days later, Rajinikanth issued a three-page statement “apologising” for not keeping his date with politics.