Speaking at a condolence meeting organised by the Nadigar Sangam, Rajinikanth called the late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa a “great soul”. He also said that he was partly responsible for her election defeat in 1996. Jayalalithaa passed away on December 5.
Rajinikanth said he had hurt Jayalalithaa in 1996 by criticising her ability to govern. He said, “I hurt her very badly in 1996. I was a very important reason for her failure in that year’s election. I heard that she was very upset with me because of that.”
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The actor also talked about Jayalalithaa’s willingness to forgive and forget. He said, “I wanted to invite her for my daughter’s wedding. When I did call her office for an appointment, it was immediately granted. I did feel very guilty, but she made me feel at ease. Even though, she had several appointments on the day of Aishwarya’s wedding, she attended, much to my delight.”
He also praised her dedication to the people of Tamil Nadu. He said, “Jayalalitha is a diamond. She withstood pressure from a male-dominated society to become a diamond. Now, this Kohinoor diamond rests next to MGR in the Marina. She was a great soul. Her loss is irreparable.”