Annamalai bent on burning bridges, spurns opponents and allies equally

The AIADMK on Monday questioned Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai's intention to criticise the party despite being in an alliance, and said it will be forced to rethink its ties with the saffron party if Annamalai is not restrained.

Taking strong exception to Annamalai's alleged criticism of the AIADMK and its leader, the party's former state minister D Jayakumar accused the BJP leader of creating confusion in the alliance and sought to know if the Delhi leaders approved his actions.

"Is it Annamalai's intention to see that the AIADMK–BJP alliance does not win a seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and that Narendra Modi should not become prime minister again? Are not his activities oriented in this direction?" Jayakumar asked, while speaking to media persons.

His criticism was unacceptable, Jayakumar said, and wondered why Annamalai, who is fond of talking about corruption, is silent on corruption allegations involving the BJP in Karnataka. "Did the BJP win in Karnataka despite his election campaign in that state? Why doesn't he talk about the corruption allegations in Karnataka during the Assembly election?" Jayakumar asked.

Indicating that the BJP on its own is nothing in Tamil Nadu, Jayakumar said his party's strong presence in the state ensured BJP's victory in the 2021 Assembly election. "After a gap of 20 years, the BJP made an entry into the state assembly with four MLAs today because of the AIADMK. Will Annamalai deny this? The BJP will get an identity only when it remains in the AIADMK alliance," the former minister said.

He warned that the AIADMK would be forced to rethink its alliance with the saffron party if Annamalai continued to needlessly criticise the AIADMK and if the BJP central leadership did not restrain an "immature" Annamalai, who wants to project himself.

"Annamalai should hold his tongue and follow alliance dharma," he said and pointed to the smooth ties in the ruling DMK camp where the Congress remained restrained, despite the DMK always raking up the troubles it faced during the Emergency imposed by the Congress government in 1975, in what was possibly a back-handed compliment.

Asked if he wanted a change in BJP state leadership, Jayakumar replied, "That's not our demand. We want him to be restrained. Remember the AIADMK is like a huge banyan tree and the BJP only a plant."

Meanwhile, former chief minister O. Panneerselvam flayed the BJP chief and said Annamalai's alleged remarks on a former chief minister showed his "political immaturity." 

Earlier today, Annamalai said that Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin was in his position just because of the dynasty he comes from and the name 'Karunanidhi'.

He was responding to Stalin's remarks on the Union home minister Amit Shah's call for a Tamil prime minister, saying that the sentiment was welcome but the intent of Shah's statement was not understood.

Stalin also had said: "I don't know why Amit Shah is angry with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi" and hoped that L. Murugan or Tamilisai Soundararajan would have a chance to become prime minister next.

To this, Annamalai said: "In your Arivalayam party, the basic criteria are that they have to be born in your Gopalapuram home. That's why the hon'ble home minister mentioned your family as 3G (third generation dynast) and your partner INC India as 4G (fourth generation dynast)." The DMK's Chennai party office is in a building called Arivalayam, 'fount of knowledge'.

He also called upon Stalin not to talk about 2004–14 and added that the DMK was responsible for killing 1.5 lakh Tamil brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka.

Annamalai also alleged that corruption was the word that perfectly suited the ministers of the DMK who served in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments.

With agency inputs