Actor Rajinikanth on Tuesday acknowledged that he has received an invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second term and confirmed that he will be in attendance in the capital. His announcement comes a day after he and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Chief Kamal Haasan were reportedly invited for the ceremony.
Speaking to the media near his residence, Rajinikanth said, "I will be going for the swearing-in ceremony."
He further added that the BJP owes its victory to Narendra Modi's charisma.
"This victory is for the person Narendra Modi. He is a charismatic leader. In India after Nehru, Indira Gandhi was a charismatic leader and then there was Rajiv Gandhi. Later we had a leader like Vajpayee. Modi is now a charismatic leader. Even in Tamil Nadu we had Kamaraj, Anna, MGR, Kalaignar and Jayalalithaa. This is the victory for Modi," he told the media.
He agreed that the BJP lost in Tamil Nadu because of an anti-Modi wave. "There was a pro Modi wave in places other than TN, Kerala and Andhra. In Tamil Nadu however there was an anti-Modi wave. No one can swim against the wave." The actor said that issues like Sterlite and NEET had worked against the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
When questioned about speculation over Congress President Rahul Gandhi's resignation, he said, "I won't say Rahul Gandhi lacks leadership skills. It is tough to handle an age-old party like Congress. I think senior leaders did not co-operate with him. He should not resign, he should prove he can do it too. In a democracy, the opposition should also be strong."
Though Rajinikanth has said he will attend the ceremony, Kamal Haasan meanwhile is yet to commit to his presence at the ceremony. Sources in the party maintained that there was no decision on the matter yet.
Usually, after an informal confirmation, guests receive a formal invite from the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the swearing-in of the Prime Minister. Narendra Modi will be taking oath at 7pm on Thursday. He was re-elected with a thumping majority for a second term at the centre with 303 seats. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won a total of 352 seats in the 545-member lower house of parliament.
The AIADMK meanwhile will be looking to get a cabinet berth in the Union Ministry. Amongst those in the race for a Minster of State (MoS) post are Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam’s son P Ravindranath Kumar and former state minister V Vaithilingam.
Sources in the state BJP, however, maintain that there has been no confirmation on who will be getting the post. Several younger faces, however, will reportedly be inducted into the cabinet.