Page 8 - The Indian EYE 092223

NATION SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 | The Indian Eye 8

Tug of war among NDA allies:

All is not well between BJP and

AIADMK in Tamil Nadu

Slamming Annamalai for his criticism of Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai, a senior leader

said AIADMK party workers will not tolerate any affront to the late chief minister

OUR BUREAU ticipation.
But Jayakumar slammed An-
Chennai/New Delhi
namalai for criticizing leaders of his
n a shocking move, the AIADMK party including former Tamil Nadu
on Monday announced that it was Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. “With
Inot in alliance with the BJP in this decision (of not having an alli-
Tamil Nadu and any decision on tie- ance with BJP), there won’t be any
up will be taken during elections. impact on us. We are confident of our
Training its guns on the Tamil victory. To date, we are the biggest
Nadu BJP president Annamalai, the Party in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil Nadu
AIADMK accused him of working AIADMK leads the alliance and we
against an alliance between the two will attain victory in the election. As
parties even though the cadres of the of today, the BJP is not there in our
saffron party were in favour of them alliance. We warned (the BJP) many
joining hands. times but they didn’t change their atti-
AIADMK is a part of the rul- tude. So no more alliance,” he added.
ing National Democratic Alliance On September 16, AIADMK
(NDA) and had attended the grand senior leader C V Shanmugham
coalition meeting convened in the na- slammed Annamalai for his recent
tional capital in July. remarks on Annadurai during a BJP
“Annamalai doesn’t want an alli- protest in Chennai.
ance. He always criticises our leaders. “Annamalai doesn’t have any
He is unfit to be BJP state president,” competence to speak about Peraring-
Senior AIADMK leader D Jayaku- ar Anna. In the name of ‘Padha Yath-
mar said. ra’ AnnaFoing ‘Vasul Yathra’ (Money
“We can’t accept continuous crit- collection Yatra)” said Shanmugham.
icism on our leaders. Annamalai al- Reacting to this Annamalai said, “
ready criticised our leader Jayalalithaa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami at a Thieves will get afraid when they see a
At that time, we passed a resolution National Democratic Alliance meeting in New Delhi (ANI) policeman”.
against Annamalai. He should have This is not the first time bitterness
stopped this. He is criticising Anna, erupts in the AIADMK - BJP ties.
Periyar and the General Secretary. No demonstration against Hindu Reli- Muthuramalinga Thevar had defend- In the past when Annamalai
cadre would accept this,” he added. gious and Charitable Endowments ed Sanatana Dharma. made remarks on former Chief Min-
Slamming Annamalai for his crit- minister P K Sekar Babu for his par- To substantiate his claim, the BJP ister Jayalalithaa, AIADMK passed a
icism of Dravidian stalwart C N An- ticipation in the ‘Sanatana Dharma’ leader said, he had copies of news re- resolution against him.
nadurai, the senior leader said AIAD- eradication conference here, An- ports that appeared in the month of Similarly, Annamalai also took
MK party workers will not tolerate namalai had made a comment on An- June in 1956 in a top national English a dig at AIADMK general secretary
any affront to the late chief minister. nadurai. daily. Edappadi Palaniswami when a few
DMK founder Annadurai (1909- The BJP leader said Anna had in “Anyone may read. It was a 10-day functionaries from BJP joined AIAD-
1969) is popularly known as Anna (el- the 1950s made a critical remark in Tamil Sangam event.” MK, however, the latter did not react
der brother). Madurai against the Hindu faith at Annamalai, the young IPS offi- saying they would only speak with the
The AIADMK leader claimed an event, and that it was staunchly op- cer-turned politician, has undertak- central leadership of the BJP.
that the decision will not have any posed by freedom fighter Pasumpon en a padyatra to take BJP’s message The ties between BJP and AIAD-
impact on the party’s poll prospects Muthuramalinga Thevar. to the masses in Tamil Nadu, where MK in the state also suffered after
in the state and it was confident about Annamalai, meanwhile, defend- the saffron party still does not have a AIADMK leaders said that their alli-
victory. “The BJP can’t set foot here. ed his statement and insisted that he proper foothold. The padytra, which ance with the BJP caused losing votes
Your vote bank is known. You are did not speak ill of Anna and had only was flagged off by the Union home of members of the minority commu-
known because of us,” Jayakumar said. mentioned an event from the pages minister Amit Shah on July 28 at Ra- nities in the Erode East by-election
On September 11, leading a of history and the manner in which meswaram, has seen good public par- which the party lost.

www.TheIndianEYE.com