More than 50 BJP flagpoles installed on day 1, cadre held

CHENNAI: Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu unit on Wednesday informed that more than 50 flagpoles have been installed across the state on November 1 to mark the ‘words’ of state president K Annamalai.

According to state vice-president Karu Nagarajan, in Chennai city alone, 42 flagpoles were placed on November 1.

“We (TN BJP) are continuously trying to place flagpoles across the city. But, in many places, the police are stopping us and asking us to bring the permission letter. We are not placing flagpoles at any new venues. We also place the flagpoles at the venues where there are various party flagpoles. A few flagpoles are placed near the houses of our party workers. Regarding the permission, we will meet the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Corporation on Thursday,” he said.

The drive comes in the wake of the arrest of BJP workers, including Amar Prasad Reddy, for placing the flagpole in front of state president Annamalai’s residence at Panaiyur, Chennai on October 21.

Further, Annamalai declared that the saffron party will place 10,000 flagpoles across the state from November 1 with the final one being erected in Panaiyur, where it had been ‘forcibly removed by the police.’

Annamalai condemned the arrest of BJP workers who tried to erect the flagpoles at various places on Wednesday. “BJP leaders, workers who tried to erect flagpoles have been arrested across the state. I strongly condemn the abuse of power by the DMK government,” he said.

Taking a dig at the DMK, he said, “DMK is showing its fascist face by not allowing BJP to erect even flagpoles where other parties have it. DMK, which has been in politics for about 75 years since its inception in 1949, is clearly scared of the hard work of BJP workers. DMK’s fear will continue forever.”

BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy said that the DMK, which refused BJP to have flagpoles should arrest all DMK functionaries who violated the law by erecting flagpoles on public places.