Tamil Nadu: Annamalai Ups The Ante Against DMK Government After A Raja's Controversial Speech

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, was witness to a massive protest led by the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), K Annamalai on the 26 September.

Tamil Nadu has been on high alert for some days now. There have been multiple incidents in the last week or so that have deteriorated the law-and-order situation in the state.

After the nationwide raids and subsequent arrest of more than 100 leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its sister organisation, the SDPI, the homes and property of leaders of the BJP, RSS and Hindu organisations were attacked across Tamil Nadu. 

In a letter written to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Annamalai has listed 19 incidents of petrol bomb attacks. 

While the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police Sylendra Babu, has promised to quickly arrest the culprits and book them under the National Security Act (NSA), the state Chief Minister MK Stalin has chosen to call both sides as toxic and communal elements. 

He says that the common people do not care about these organisations, and that his government will concentrate on welfare schemes.

What also drove the BJP go for a massive protest was the DMK’s non-action on its leader and 2G scam accused Andimuthu Raja's (A Raja) controversial comments on Hinduism. 

Raja said, "You are a Shudra till you remain a Hindu. You are the son of a prostitute till you remain as Shudra. You are a Panchaman (Dalit) till you remain a Hindu. You are an untouchable till you remain a Hindu."

He also raised the issue of a Tamil country separate from India. He said, “I urge the centre to grant us autonomy. We shall not stop our fight until Tamil Nadu gets state autonomy.”

Raja also said that their ideological leader, Periyar advocated a Tamil Nadu separate from India.

“However, we have kept that demand aside so far for the sake of democracy and unity of India. I urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah not to force us to revive the demand. Please give us state autonomy," he said.

The Tamil Nadu BJP says that the hands of Tamil Nadu police are tied and when its leaders such as their Coimbatore district president Balaji Uthamaramasamy, condemned such remarks, they were arrested and even booked under the SC/ST act.

A bandh called by the BJP and other Hindu organisations like Hindu Munnani against A Raja’s remarks was quite successful and shops were shut in Nilgiris, Mettupalayam and even the Union Territory of Puducherry. 

Also Read: Hate Speech Of Andimuthu Raja — The Disease Of Self-Hatred