Chennai: A simmering tension within the BJP-AIADMK leadership in Tamil Nadu came to the fore Monday, as senior leader D. Jayakumar announced breakup of the alliance and added that any decision would be made only before the next year’s election.
Jayakumar further singled out BJP’s Tamil Nadu chief K. Annamalai for speaking ill of AIADMK’s former leaders.
“He spoke about Amma (Jayalalithaa) and then apologised, then he spoke about Anna and Periyar. Enough is enough. We can’t tolerate it anymore. If Annamalai continues to criticise our leaders, we will retaliate strongly,” the AIADMK organising secretary said, adding that the decision on alliance will be decided only closer to election.
All has not been well for the BJP and the AIADMK, who have been in alliance since 2019, after Annamalai’s 11 September remark on Dravidian icon and former chief minister C. N. Annadurai.
At a protest in Chennai over the Sanatana Dharma row, Annamalai had narrated an incident about a 10-day Tamil conclave event in which he claimed that “Anna got an opportunity to speak and he said the girl (there) sang very well, if it were fools, they would say the girl sang well because she drank the milk of wisdom”.
The BJP leader added that Muthuramalinga Thevar (a politician and freedom fighter), too, spoke at the event where he asked who had disparaged his Goddess earlier. “He warned that there would be abhishek with blood of those who disparage the Goddess,” said Annamalai.
While several AIADMK leaders had condemned the BJP state chief for his remarks, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s Delhi visit last week was seen through this prism as he met Union Home MInister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda.
“We had asked the BJP high command to control Annamalai and even after that if he is continuing to disrespect our leaders it only means that he is acting under the leadership’s advice,” Jayakumar said, adding that the AIADMK earlier warned the BJP of reconsidering its stand if Annamalai continued speaking against the party.
The AIADMK leader said that it needs to be seen how the BJP will fare in Tamil Nadu. “Election is in 2024, they won’t be able to do anything. Will they be able to get more votes than NOTA? Let’s see if they win more votes than NOTA.”
“BJP cadres want an alliance with the AIADMK but Annamalai doesn’t want an alliance. He always criticises our leaders. He is unfit to be BJP state president,” Jayakumar asserted.
Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson Amar Prasad Reddy came out in defence of his party chief and added that the decision would only be a loss for the AIADMK.
“Annamalai is a principled politician who has left his job as an IPS officer, and has only joined politics to do service for the people of Tamil Nadu, and here Annamalai has not spoken ill about Anna. He only quoted a factual event,” Reddy told ThePrint.
He alleged that the regional party was acting like this because of fear of “Annamalai’s growth and PM Modi’s wave in Tamil Nadu”.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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