Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Working President MK Stalin has said that superstar Rajinikanth’s spiritual politics will not be good for the country.
Speaking to The Hindu Tamil, he said, “Religion is born when they try to institutionalise spirituality. The institutionalised religion, with ruling power in its hand, tortures people and that is when secularism is born. It shows us how to see spirituality and politics separately. Rajinikanth is again seeing it upside down. It is not good for the country.”
Earlier this month, after announcing his entry into politics, Rajinikanth visited DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi at his residence. On the meeting, Stalin had said that it was nothing surprising and that even Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam leader Vijayakanth had sought Karunanidhi's blessings when he floated his party.
Stalin also said that while both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan are good friends of his, politics is not cinema. “We shall deal with it in the (political) turf.”
On his thoughts on All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s fall, he said that the reason lay in losing Tamil Nadu people’s rights for the sake of power. “In spite of all the critiques she received, as a woman, Jayalalithaa faced all the challenges head-on and I always respect that in her. I had a lot of respect for her strength in protecting the TN people’s rights. The NEET exam, the UDAY policy, GST were not agreed by her. Haven't they (current members) pawned off everything for the sake of power?”
When asked about the rhetoric on Tamil nationalism and Tamil castes, he said, “Dravidianism began as a non-brahministic ideology. But Anna transformed this and brought all castes, including Brahmins, under DMK. Tamil should unite everyone. It shouldn’t outcast anyone.”
On the ideological fall of DMK, he said, “I do not feel that it is right to compare the election results with the fall of an ideology. Because the Aam Aadmi Party, one without any political ideology, has also received electoral success. Let’s consider Tamil Nadu. What is the ideological strength of the AIADMK? DMK has to strengthen itself with its ideology and prepare ourselves for the future, I agree. But there's no reason to compare it with elections. Based on people’s choice, very soon the DMK will rise again.”