Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has hit back at criticism from his former party over his defence of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters,
stating that no one can question his nationalism. The exchange follows BJP leader Vanathi Srinivasan’s remarks targeting those who support the CJP, amid a growing row over the handling of protests in Delhi. “Show me an individual who's more of a nationalist than me,” Annamalai said, responding to the criticism. He cited his experience of living and working across several states, saying he was born in Tamil Nadu, studied in Lucknow, underwent IPS training in Andhra Pradesh and Delhi, and served in Karnataka. “Show one individual from Tamil Nadu who has been to these many States in 12 years. None shall preach me about Nationalism,” he said. Annamalai, who quit the BJP earlier this year, has faced criticism from party leaders after questioning the Centre and Delhi Police over their handling of CJP demonstrations. He has defended the group’s right to raise questions and protest, while saying he does not necessarily agree with its methods. Vanathi, a BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, had said that those supporting the CJP had abandoned nationalism and Hindutva. Without directly naming Annamalai, she said, “Those who support the cockroach are definitely anti-nationals,” adding that the developments would help nationalists identify who was principled. She also claimed that the NDA government had faced no corruption allegations since 2014, unlike the Congress-led UPA.
Annamalai Clarifies Stand On CJP
The former BJP leader has maintained that defending the protesters’ right to dissent does not amount to supporting the CJP or its political agenda. On Thursday, he reiterated that organisations, including the BJP and DMK, had a democratic right to raise public issues, warning that attempts to suppress dissent could strengthen opposition voices.
Annamalai’s criticism followed the detention and judicial custody of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka during protests in Delhi. The outfit has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He questioned the decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as a protest site, the rejection of sureties for the detained leaders and the police action against demonstrators. He also asked whether the BJP’s response was giving the CJP publicity and helping it attract support from opposition voters.
Annamalai quit the BJP earlier this year following the party’s poor performance in the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. His latest remarks have opened another round of criticism from BJP leaders, with the dispute now centred on whether defending the right to protest should be treated as support for the protesters’ political cause.
