"Should Prove He Can Do It": Rajinikanth Says Rahul Gandhi Shouldn't Quit

Rahul Gandhi should stay and "prove he can do it", actor-politician Rajinikanth said on Tuesday, reacting to the Congress chief's decision to quit the post over the party's dismal national election performance.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) should not resign. He should prove he can do it. In democracy the opposition should also be strong," Rajinikanth told reporters in Chennai.

The legendary south star said the national election was a victory for only one individual - Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "After Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it is Modi who is a charismatic leader attracting people," Rajinikanth said. The 68-year-old told reporters he would attend the swearing in ceremony of the new government in Delhi on Thursday.

"As a youngster, it is difficult for him (Rahul Gandhi) to handle senior leaders. Moreover, they (Congress) did not work hard," he said.

Rajinikanth said there was an "anti-Modi wave" in Tamil Nadu and the BJP lost in the state because of the campaign against various industrial projects like Sterlite in Tuticorin, the methane extraction project in the Cauvery delta and the "whirlwind campaign" of the opposition.

He assessed that senior leaders of the Congress did not function in a coordinated manner during the elections.

The Congress has been pleading with Rahul Gandhi to change his mind on quitting as party president, but so far, without any luck.

Today, DMK leader MK Stalin was among leaders who phoned Rahul Gandhi and urged him not to quit.