Superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday announced his decision not to join politics, two days before he was to float a political party, citing his frail health and his vulnerability to Covid-19 and seeing in them a “warning from God”.

Rajinikanth, 70, who underwent a renal transplant a few years ago and was last week admitted to hospital following a health scare, issued a three-page statement saying: “Forgive me; I know my decision will disappoint thousands of my fans, members of the (fan club) Rajini Makkal Mandram and the people at large.”

The actor was expected to launch a political party on December 31 and contest all 234 seats in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections next year.

After the kidney transplant a few years ago, health issues continued to dog Rajinikanth. His resolve to set the political ball rolling from December 31 had pushed him to try to complete his film assignment — the big-budget Annathai — at the earliest.

But four members of the 120-strong crew, shooting at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, tested positive for Covid-19 on December 23 despite a bio-bubble.

Rajinikanth immediately isolated himself and later got admitted to Apollo Hospitals for tests. Though he tested negative for Covid-19, the actor was kept under close examination for three days as his blood pressure fluctuated. He was discharged on Sunday after his health improved. Doctors advised him “complete bed rest” and to avoid stress that could aggravate his post-renal transplant complications.

Rajinikanth in his statement recalled these issues, stating that his doctors had told him that his blood pressure should not be allowed to fluctuate under any circumstances.

“Kalanidhi Maran (of Sun Pictures, producing Annathai), considering my health condition, had earlier postponed the remaining shoot of ‘Annathai’, but it entailed job losses to the crew and financial losses to the tune of several crore of rupees.”

Underscoring that all this was “due to my health”,

Rajinikanth said he read the latest episode as a “warning from God”.