Chennai: Breaking his silence, actor Rajinikanth on Thursday said he has been advised against entering politics by doctors as he had undergone a kidney transplant and due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The actor said he would announce at the appropriate time whether he would enter politics or not after consulting office bearers of his ‘Mandram’.
The disclosure of his health status, forthe first time, is seen as an indication that the actor was seriously rethinkinglaunching a political party.
Rajinikanth said on his twitter handle that though a statement -that hints that he may reconsider his political entry given his health condition- doing the rounds in social media was not from him, the content related to his health status and doctors advise to him “is all true.”
“Everyone knows that it is not my statement. However, the information in it related to my health status and doctors advise to me is entirely true,” he said.
Doctors categorically advising Rajinikanth against venturing into politics in view of his kidney transplant in 2016 and the raging coronavirus pandemic were the two key health related points that found a mention in the purported “statement.”
The ‘statement’ recalling his treatment at a Singapore hospital in 2011 for kidney ailment, said that Rajinikanth underwent a kidney transplant at a hospital in the United States in May 2016.
The doctors advised the actor when he sought ‘consultation’ on his political entry, it said.
The experts said that even if a vaccine was developed for COVID-19, whether the actor’s body shall ‘accept’ it or not would be known only with the vaccine’s availability, doctors told the actor.
“Now you are 70 years old. The immunity will be pretty low for you since you have undergone a renal transplant when compared to others.
Hence, the chance of you contracting the coronavirus is very high,” the doctors advised.
Considering such factors, the health care professionals advised Rajinikanth to stay away from politics ‘for sure’ during these times of the pandemic.
“At the right time, I will let the people know about my political stand after consulting the office-bearers of Rajini Makkal Mandram,” he said.
The Mandram was seen as a ‘launch vehicle’ and a preparatory exercise to help the actor float his political party successfully.
The actor had said that it was his desire to create a political revolution in Tamil Nadu and had never aspired for the Chief Minister’s post.
He had said early this year that he would enter politics when there is an “upsurge” among people favouring clean politics.
Expectations that he may announce his party heightened recently and there were speculations about the timing of the announcement as well in a sectionof the media.