She never said ‘Sanghi’ was a bad word: Rajnikanth defends daughter
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Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth on Monday came to his daughter Aishwarya’s defense saying that she did not refer to 'Sanghi' as a 'bad word' and that she only expressed her point of view that he was a spiritual person.
Aishwarya, at the audio launch of her new film ‘Laal Salaam’, had said "dad is a spiritual person who loves all religions and when that is the case, why is he described so (as a Sanghi)."
“I usually stay away from social media, but my team often tells me what’s happening. I used to get angry seeing some posts. We’re human beings too. In recent times, many people call my father a Sanghi. I didn’t know what it meant. I then asked someone what was the meaning of Sanghi and they said that people who support a particular political party are called Sanghi,” said, as quoted by The Indian Express.
“If he is a Sanghi, he wouldn’t have accepted to be part of Laal Salam,” Aishwarya said.
When asked about her statement, Rajinikanth said “She didn’t say Sanghi is a bad word anywhere,” adding that ‘there is nothing else to it’.
'Sanghi' is a colloquial term used to describe a supporter or activist of the Right-wing.
The political and ideological affiliations of Rajnikanth is one of the much-debated topics. While the actor is a self-proclaimed Hindu devotee, it remains uncertain whether he endorses Hindutva politics. However, he has been criticised for leaning towards such politics.
Rajnikanth’s presence at the Ram temple consecration ceremony on January 22 did not go down well with a large section of his fans who have been opposing his association with the BJP.
This is not the first time the Superstar has landed in trouble for being seen as being associated with the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
In 2019, amid talk regarding Rajnikanth’s ‘soft Hindutva’ stance and his foray into politics, the actor had said, “There is an attempt by some to portray me as a BJP man. I have to make that decision. It is not right to project that they are waiting for me, ” reported The Indian Express.
A year ago, another controversy erupted when a picture surfaced on social media where Rajnikanth was seen touching the feet of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while both were attending a special screening of the actor's then-released film Jailer.
In response to criticisms that arose, Rajnikanth again justified his act saying that it had nothing to do with politics and that it was his habit to touch the feet of sanyasis.
