Chennai: The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has passed a resolution against K. Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu chief of ally BJP, over a purported jibe at late party chief and former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.
The resolution, passed at an AIADMK district secretaries’ meeting Tuesday, comes amid growing strains between the party and Annamalai.
In an interview to the Times of India Monday, Annamalai was asked if he would agree that the “1991-96 period” — when Jayalalithaa was CM — was among the worst in terms of corruption in Tamil Nadu. It was asked amid a discussion on “corruption exposes” Annamalai has vowed against the state’s leaders.
The former IPS officer replied, “Many administrations in Tamil Nadu were corrupt. Former chief ministers have been convicted in courts of law. That is why Tamil Nadu has become one of the most corrupt states. I would say it is number one in corruption.”
Reading out the resolution, former CM and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami said, “The interview given by Annamalai against our leader Jayalalithaa was made with an ulterior motive. It has hurt the sentiments of party cadres and we strongly condemn it.”
Annamalai’s statement was also condemned by ousted AIADMK leader O. Panneerselvam and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the nephew of Jayalalithaa’s confidante Sasikala, who called the state BJP chief “immature” and without proper knowledge of state politics.
Meanwhile, as the state BJP backed Annamalai, the former IPS officer also dug his heels in, saying in a statement that he had not spoken anything “contrary to the truth”.
Annamalai is now set to embark on a padayatra from Tamil Nadu’s Rameswaram on 9 July. He will walk to all the 234 assembly constituencies in the state and end his padayatra in Chennai.
Also Read: AIADMK fumes at Tamil Nadu BJP chief’s corruption ‘jibe’ at Jayalalithaa, threatens to end alliance
Strained relationship between AIADMK and BJP
According to AIADMK sources, at the closed-door district secretaries meeting, party leaders supported breaking ties with the BJP.
A senior AIADMK leader told ThePrint, “General secretary Edappadiyar has said that the party will wait for the BJP leadership to take a decision on Annamalai in a couple of days. If the BJP does not take a decision, we will reconsider the alliance.”
Speaking to the media outside the AIADMK headquarters, Rajya Sabha MP C. Ve Shanmugam lashed out at Annamalai, and questioned why he was silent when BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had fixed the alliance with the AIADMK.
“When Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda said PM Narendra Modi were keen on the alliance with the AIADMK, and said that AIADMK is the biggest party in the state, and an alliance led by the AIADMK will be formed, why didn’t Annamalai oppose it then and there?” he said, asking why Annamalai was working “like the B-Team of the DMK”.
“If you are not interested in an alliance with the AIADMK then leave,” added Shanmugham.
In the resolution passed by the party, it has alleged that Annamalai’s statement has brought disrepute to the image of Jayalalithaa. It calls Annamalai inexperienced and irresponsible.
It speaks about the respect wielded by Jayalalithaa. The former CM, it says, was much respected by senior BJP leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani. Even PM Modi had visited Jayalalithaa at her residence at Poes Garden in Chennai, it adds, saying that it was her support in 1998 that helped the BJP come to power at the Centre for the first time.
On Monday, AIADMK leader D. Jayakumar had said the party would “reconsider” its alliance with the BJP if it continued to target the party.
Meanwhile, Annamalai said in a statement on the AIADMK resolution that he “does not wish to stoop to the level of the AIADMK and criticise them”.
“It is inappropriate to expect the coalition partner to say everything they (AIADMK) want,” said Annamalai. “Corruption-free TN is my goal and my political journey will continue only on this path. I don’t want to mortgage my dreams for the future of TN, for the sake of short-term political gains,” he added. “I didn’t say anything contrary to truth.”
BJP Tamil Nadu backs Annamalai
The state BJP has come out in support of Annamalai, with BJP state vice-president Karu Nagarajan, at a press meet, condemning the resolution passed against Annamalai.
Senior BJP leader Amar Prasad Reddy told ThePrint that “the remarks made by D. Jayakumar are out of fear that the South Chennai constituency is going to be contested by the BJP”.
“Jayakumar’s son Dr J. Jayavardhan was the one who contested from the seat in the last two elections, but after Amit Shah ji’s visit, it is clear that the BJP will contest there.”
On Sunday, Shah had held a meeting in the constituency.
Reddy added, “Annamalai ji has not said anything against Madam Jayalalithaa, he only replied to a question asked by the interviewer and what he said was a factual detail.”
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)