Indian superstar Rajinikanth may not be physically present in the Dewan Rakyat, but his spirit was strongly felt.

Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz invoked the actor's star power today, while defending the Vivekananda Ashram, quoting Rajinikanth's character in the movie 'Baasha'.

"What happened today I didn't know yesterday. What happens tomorrow I don't know today. What I do know is that, I, as a tourism and culture minister, will defend the ashram till the end," Nazri told the House today.

He then asked M Manivanan (PKR-Kapar) to stand up and repeat his quote in Tamil.

Manivanan said that Nazri, like Rajinikanth's character in the movie, needs only say it once, not 100 times.

"Signed, sealed and delivered," M Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) chimed in, to which Manivanan gave Rajinikanth's signature salute.

Nazri has been a strong proponent to make the Vivekananda Ashram a heritage site in Brickfields, a move that he expects to be gazetted soon.