TN BJP Chief Annamalai on AIADMK’s Resolution Against Him

Even as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (AIADMK) district secretaries passed a resolution against K Annamalai for “tarnishing the reputation of revolutionary leader and Idhaya Deivam (goddess in the heart, as Jayalalithaa is fondly called by her followers) in a planned manner”, the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief said “this is my way of politics”.

An irate AIADMK general secretary and former CM K Palaniswami on Tuesday lashed out at Annamalai for the latter’s “irresponsible and immature” remark. “Annamalai’s remark is irresponsible, lacking political experience and maturity. We strongly condemn it.”

This is the first time the AIADMK has condemned Annamalai in such harsh terms and even passed a resolution against him. Palaniswami had chaired the meeting at the party office. The resolution said the party cadres and public are agitated and aggrieved over the criticism. BJP senior leaders like A B Vajpayee, L K Advani, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides several national leaders and leaders from various states had regard and respect for Jayalalithaa, the resolution said. “Many national leaders had conferred with her on several issues at her residence,” it said. “It was former chief minister and currently the leader of the opposition K Palaniswami, who was responsible for ensuring BJP’s representation in the state Assembly with four MLAs after a gap of 20 years,” the resolution further said.

ANNAMALAI’s REBUTTAL

“This is my way of politics. I heard that a resolution was passed against me in the AIADMK district secretaries meeting today. Apart from that, many former ministers have spoken regarding my interview to an English daily without understanding the context. I don’t want to degrade myself and criticise them,” he said.

Stating that it was his “duty to clarify certain things”, Annamalai, in his statement, said, “Corruption is the biggest issue in Tamil Nadu. The welfare that had to reach the public never reached them because of the politicians who swindled everything.”

“For the question on whether the people below the poverty line have developed, the answer is “No”. All these governments come to power only by promising freebies and giving money during elections. I am against this way of politics. I came to politics inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. My only wish and goal is to turn the corruption capital of India which is Tamil Nadu into a corruption free state,” he added.

“Nobody needs to teach me how to treat our alliance parties and the leaders of the parties. I am well aware of alliance dharma. I have just spoken about what had taken place in the political history of Tamil Nadu. I don’t mind apologising if someone says whatever I said in the interview is wrong. But at the same time, just because we are in an alliance, they cannot expect us to talk only what they want. I am here to do politics according to my conscience,” he said.

“Today, as we speak, Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids are happening in the chamber of a sitting minister of the Tamil Nadu Government. This is not the first time, this has already happened in the TN Secratariat. This is a sad state of affairs which we are seeing here that has never happened in any other state and it is entirely because of the corruption here. I just want to change this politics where corruption is fully there,” he said.

With PTI Inputs