4 min readChennaiMar 17, 2026 02:34 PM IST
Days after a leader from Thalapathy Vijay’s political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, Aadhav Arjuna, levelled allegations around Rajinikanth shelving his plunge into politics, the veteran Tamil superstar has now issued a statement, dismissing the claims. The TVK General Secretary alleged the political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam “threatened” Rajinikanth and dissuaded him from joining politics in 2020.
“Recently, Mr. Aadhav Arjuna (in party leadership) made a statement about me that was contrary to the truth,” read a letter posted by Rajinikanth on his X handle on Tuesday. “I thank with heartfelt gratitude all who supported me against his slander,” he added. The actor then listed a few names from the Tamil Nadu political circles who defended him against Arjuna’s claims.
These included Opposition Leader and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami, Tamil Nadu Bhartiya Jana Party (BJP) President Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister L. Murugan, his fellow BJP leader Kuppusamy Annamalai, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi President Thol. Thirumavalavan.
Rajinikanth also extended his gratitude to fellow film artists, fans, and members of the media who came out in his support. “Time does not pass but waits and answers,” added Rajinikanth. He concluded his note with, “Long live Tamil Nadu! May Tamil people prosper! Victory!” The actor’s clarification comes after Arjuna’s remark resulted in a strong backlash from the his fans and former advisor.
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) March 17, 2026
Rajinikanth’s former advisor Ra Arjunamurthy strongly condemned the remark and urged TVK founder Vijay to initiate action on Arjuna. Tamil Nadu Minister S Regupathy lashed out at TVK for the allegation, and said the Vijay-led party was attempting to gain political mileage by uttering a “lie.”
Speaking to reporters this past Friday, the minister said Rajinikanth was a friend of the DMK and had voiced support for the party. “Rajinikanth cannot be threatened. Everyone knows that. To say that the DMK threatened him is a blatant lie. Vijay’s party is saying it to seek political mileage,” Regupathy said. He also pointed out that in the 1996 election, Rajinikanth had voiced support for the DMK.
Addressing the party members during a protest against the state government in Chennai on March 12, Aadhav Arjuna alleged that the DMK threatened Rajinikanth when he tried to enter politics. Arjuna maintained that he was not criticising the actor, but wanted to point out that Vijay had the courage to withstand such pressure.
In a letter addressed to Vijay, Rajinikanth’s former advisor and Tamil Nadu BJP NGO Cell state president Ra Arjunamurthy wrote on X that Arjuna was creating unnecessary conflicts and showing disrespect to towering personalities. “For a political movement to grow, it must be built on knowledge, experience, and humility. It is not a strength for any leader to have people in the party who speak with half-baked political understanding. It will become a huge political liability over time,” Arjunamurthy stated.
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“In particular, belittling Rajinikanth, who has great respect and affection of people, will not elevate anyone but would only hurt the feelings of the Tamil people,” he added, demanding that Arjuna be removed from the party. TVK leader and Rajinikanth’s junior Vijay hasn’t responded to Arjuna’s allegations yet.
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