Rajni accepts Modi's invite for swearing-in ceremony

Veteran actor Rajinikanth on Monday confirmed that he will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be held on May 30.

Hailing the overwhelming Lok Sabha mandate as a victory of Modi as a leader, the actor said, "This victory is a victory for the person Modi. He is a charismatic leader."

Adding Prime Minister Modi's name in the league of "charismatic leaders the country has seen", Rajinikanth said, "After Nehru, Rajeev Gandhi, the country has now got Modi. Likewise, after Anna, Kalaignar and Jayalalithaa, this is a victory of Modi."

Giving counsel to Rahul Gandhi on his insistence to step down from the post of the Congress president, Rajini said, "He should not resign and should prove that he can do it too. In a democracy, the Opposition should also be robust."

Dwelling on the poor performance of the Congress in the recently concluded elections, Rajinikanth said, "As a youngster, it is difficult for him (Gandhi) to handle senior leaders. Moreover, they (Congress) did not work hard."

Praising the NDA government for the Godavari-Kaveri linking project, he said, "Minister Nitin Gadkari brought this project and should be appreciated. It is a very good move."

He also hoped that the Central government "will bring good projects to the state" and take the issues concerning the state seriously.

PM Modi will take oath for a second consecutive term as Prime Minister on May 30 at 7 pm in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along with members of the Union Council of Ministers.

( With inputs from ANI )