Rajinikanth on spiritual visit to Himalayas, says he's not full-time politician

Rishikesh: After taking a political plunge on December 31, 2017, superstar Rajinikanth has set off for a two-week spiritual trip to the Himalayas. 

On Tuesday, the Thalaivar said he has still not become a full-time politician.

Speaking to reporters at the Dayanand Saraswati Ashram in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, he said, "I have not announced my party. I don't want to talk anything about politics (now)... Still I have not become a full-time politician."

He will be meditating at the ashram for a few days.

The 67-year-old actor was replying to a question by reporters about actor-turned-politician and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan's comments on Monday that he had not reacted on various political matters.

According to Haasan, it was wrong to single out Rajinikanth’s silence on the Cauvery issue as he too has not reacted on various pressing matters.

Kamal Haasan's statement came after a direct question on Rajinikanth's 'silence' on the Cauvery water sharing issue with Karnataka.

Read: Not just Cauvery, Rajinikanth silent on several other issues: Kamal Haasan

His maiden speech last week say Rajinikanth stating that his reason for joining politics stemmed from the political vacuum in Tamil Nadu that he would fill.

Also Read: TN needs a leader, will fill political vacuum in state, says Rajinikanth

Rajinikanth had announced he would launch a party and contest all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu in the next elections due in 2021 on December 31, 2017.

The actor said he would launch the party after elections were announced in the state, refusing to say whether he would contest the national election in 2019. He would take a call later, he said.

Also Read: Time for change: Rajinikanth declares political debut, to contest TN polls​

Interestingly, both Haasan and Rajinikanth have seemingly timed their debuts to take advantage of a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu following former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalitha’s death and DMK boss M Karunanidhi's failing health with age.

Rajinikanth has been known for his Himalaya trips for over a decade now and has arrived in Rishikesh after a short trip to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh and a Shiva cave in Jammu.

Rajinikanth clarified that his visit to the Himalayas was a spiritual one and had nothing to do with his starting a political party.

"This is not the first time... I have come here (Rishikesh) many times. Spiritualism is to realise oneself," he said.