Annamalai’s unexpected camaraderie with DMK leaders irks Hindutva followers

CHENNAI: An unexpected display of camaraderie between K Annamalai-led Tamil Nadu BJP unit and its ideological rival, the ruling DMK has irked the traditional and stern Hindutva followers and the RSS karyakartas in the saffron party.

It all started on August 14 after BJP state president K Annamalai announced that he would take part in the commemorative coin release function to mark the birth centenary of late DMK patriarch and former chief minister M Karunanidhi, where Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would release the coin.

“DMK is our old partner. But Annamalai, who is doing aggressive politics by saying that his goal is to create a Tamil Nadu without Dravidian parties, why has it fallen to this low-level by praising our ideological rival Karunanidhi? Why is it necessary to praise them?” a staunch RSS worker and BJP leader questioned, preferring anonymity.

The RSS worker also recalled an incident and said that it was Annamalai, who refused to participate in the then West Bengal Governor La Ganesan’s family event in 2022, citing Mamata Banerjee’s presence.

“Citing Mamata government’s mistreatment of the BJP workers in West Bengal, Annamalai took a decision like a true saffron leader. But, what happened now? Despite many ideological and political differences, he started moving towards a pro-DMK stance by praising Karunanidhi,” the leader told DT Next.

Earlier, defending his participation, Annamalai said he was proud to pay respects to the DMK patriarch for the services he rendered to Tamil Nadu. “Kalaignar Karunanidhi Ayya was a five-time CM. He was in public life for more than 80 years. Though the BJP has ideological differences with him, as a farmer’s son, I feel proud to pay respects to him. It was wrong to demean the participation in an event to honour a veteran political leader,” he said.

Another senior leader said the recent camaraderie between Annamalai and DMK leaders was not an isolated incident. “Throughout the month, there have been at least two or three instances, where Annamalai maintained a conviviality with DMK men, including Minister EV Velu in the Governor’s At Home event and with Chief Minister MK Stalin and other DMK Ministers in the Karunanidhi memorial and in the coin release event with the DMK scion Udhayanidhi and others,” the leader said. He added that the former IPS officer is defending himself, citing PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s praise towards Karunanidhi.

However, Amar Prasad Reddy, a state-level BJP leader and known as Annamalai’s close aide boycotted MK’s coin release ceremony citing the mistreatment of BJP cadre by the ruling DMK government.

“I appreciated the invitation. But, due to the mistreatment of BJP cadre by the DMK government, which is unjust and inhumane, I chose not to participate in the event. I have personally faced 5 fabricated cases and endured 22 days of imprisonment, which has led me to opt out of the event,” Reddy said. An aide close to Annamalai said, “Since PM Modi himself has lauded Karunanidhi, Annamalai has been praised a little too much. Of course, he is following the instructions from the top brass. Accordingly, due to the presence of veteran leader Rajnath Singh, he also attended the event and paid tributes at the Karunanidhi memorial. But, he could have avoided such unnecessary comments in the name of justification.”