Superstar Rajinikanth has said that it is the responsibility of the rulers (read: the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu) to ensure that the proposed Rath Yatra by the VHP doesn’t end up in disturbing the secular character of the State.

Rajini, who announced on 31st December his decision to take to active politics and launch his own political outfit, left for the Himalayas and Hrishkesh as part of his ‘spiritual quest’. The ‘man of the masses’, clad in his typical white kurta-pyjama and sporting his now-famous grey beard, returned this afternoon to Chennai after wrapping up his 10-day long tour of the Himalayas.

Speaking to newsmen at his Poes Garden residence, Rajini said that he felt ‘refreshed’ after his sojourn to the Himalayas. Touching on the VHP’s proposed ‘Rath Yatra’ to press for consensus on constructing the Ram Mandir at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Rajini said that it was the responsibility of those in power (the AIADMK regime) to ensure that the State’s secular fabric is not tampered with.

“I’m sure Tamil Nadu, which has always been a secular State, won’t witness any untoward incidents during the Rath Yatra. I’m also confident that the Govt. of the day behaves responsibly in ensuring communal harmony,” Rajini said.