Annamalai’s anger on journos comes in for strong criticism

CHENNAI: Days after criticising state Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji for his tweets on certain media channels and journalists for a report on Tasmac Deepavali sales, BJP state president K Annamalai vented his anger against the journalists and addressed them disrespectfully when they sought his response reading the Minister’s charges against him over the Coimbatore car cylinder blast case.

The incident took place in Cuddalore on Thursday when a group of journalists accosted Annamalai after the party’s demonstration against the DMK government for their stand on Hindi use.

The journalists sought reaction from Annamalai on the series of charges leveled by Minister Senthilbalaji’s against him that the NIA should question him first as he revealed a lot of information regarding the Sunday’s blast in Coimbatore and also accused the BJP leader of making an attempt to cause communal disharmony for his political gains.

The visibly upset BJP leader likened journalists to primates jumping from one to tree to another and asked whether they were trying to “ambush” him. “I don’t have to respond to dogs, ghosts and bootleggers,” said Annamalai and denigrated the journalists and chided them by saying “go away”.

It attracted strong criticism from various political parties, including Congress and DMK and several took to the social media to register their strong condemnation against the BJP leader. They said it was not the first time Annamalai reacted in a disrespectful manner towards media persons.