Actor Rajinikanth’s absence at the Thuglak anniversary function attended by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Pongal day, especially at a time when open pleas were being made to him to join hands with the BJP, has set tongues wagging, leading to speculations that he is distancing himself from the national party.

Rajinikanth

Chennai:

Participants posed questions to the magazine editor S Gurumurthy, well known as an influential RSS ideologue, on why Rajinikanth, who usually attends the function, had skipped it, especially since this is the first anniversary of the magazine after the actor had confirmed his political entry.

Gurumurthy replied that the actor could not attend the function since he had gone to Hong Kong.

Seemingly undaunted by his absence, Gurumurthy claimed that the destiny of TN could be changed if the actor joined hands with the BJP, while Jaitley refrained from mentioning Rajinikanth’s name during his speech.

Meanwhile, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami distanced himself from the BJP and cited the AIADMK in Parliament on the triple talaq bill as a proof that his party was not subservient to the ruling BJP.

The AIADMK members in Parliament had opposed certain provisions of the bill and sought amendments to ensure that it did not affect the Muslim community, he said. “There is no doubt AIADMK continues to be a secular party,” he asserted, in Salem.

Going a step further, fisheries minister D Jayakumar questioned the importance being given to Gurumurthy’s remarks about to Rajinikanth, and shot back, “Is Gurumurthy an angel giving prophecy?

AIADMK will win even if Rajinikanth aligned with the BJP. Gurumurthy’s predictions are not going to come true.”