Tamil Thai Vazhthu row: Eswarappa did nothing wrong, says Annamalai

CHENNAI: State BJP leader K Annamalai on Friday said the tune was not in sync with the Tamil Thai Vazhthu, which was played ahead of Karnataka state anthem, during the election campaign in Shivamogga.

Hence, former deputy chief minister K S Eswarappa stopped it and asked the tape operator to play their state anthem first. And there was "nothing wrong" in it.

The anthem of the respective state should be played first. It was the right thing to do, said Annamalai while responding to a row over Tamil Thai Vazhthu was stopped abruptly by Eswarappa. The incident took place during an election campaign among Tamils in Shivamogga.

However, the tape operator played the Tamil Thai Vazhthu first and the tune was not in sync with the anthem, he said.

"I stood immediately after the Tamil anthem was played, while Eswarappa found out that the recorded Tamil anthem was not played appropriately, besides the Karnataka state anthem has not been played first. So, he asked the tape operator to play the state anthem. There is nothing wrong in the act of Eswarappa," he said.

He criticised the DMK party for blowing the incident out of proportion and it would leave the DMK leaders with egg on their faces.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami-led delegation meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda in Delhi on Wednesday, Annamalai said he was present in the meeting. It was a "cordial" one. The allies were together to defeat their common enemy DMK in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. "We, the NDA, have resolved to win 40 out 40 seats in the LS polls, " he said.

Earlier in the day, Annamalai issued a statement condemning the murder of state treasurer of SC wing of BJP's Tamil Nadu unit PPG Shankar and lashed out at the DMK government that the law and order has degraded in TN.