BJP TN chief Annamalai, party leaders detained
Chennai: BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai, the party’s women’s wing national chief Vanathi Srinivasan and senior state leader H Raja were among the party leaders who were detained here on Monday by the police ahead of their protest against the alleged irregularities in state-run liquor retailer TASMAC.
They were later let off around 7 pm, which drew a sharp criticism from Annamalai for detaining women after 6 pm. The party would intensify protests on the matter, including putting up “framed pictures” of Chief Minister M K Stalin in TASMAC shops, he said.
The saffron party had announced a picketing protest of the TASMAC headquarters here over the alleged Rs 1,000 crore irregularities, as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate recently.
The BJP found support from the most unexpected corner, with its strident critic and DMK ally VCK welcoming the protest, from the prohibition point of view.
Annamalai lashed out at the ruling DMK and its party president and Chief Minister Stalin, alleging the “rupee symbol and Budget drama” were an attempt to divert attention from the recent ED raids at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), besides other entities.
Annamalai, clad in a black shirt, was detained near his house along with his supporters by the police.
Senior BJP leaders including H Raja, Pon Radhakrishnan, BJP Mahila Morcha chief and Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, the party’s legislators C Saraswathi, MR Gandhi, Nainar Nagenthran and functionaries including Vinoj P Selvam and Amar Prasad Reddy were detained.
Annamalai said there have been “irregularities of Rs 1,000 crore,” in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) and asserted the party will continue to protest on the matter.
Lashing out at Stalin, Annamalai said it was his ‘guess’ that the DMK leader was ‘afraid’ of something and therefore was ‘strangulating’ BJP’s voice.
“I charge that their symbol drama, budget drama was all aimed at diverting attention from ED raids,” he said about the DMK government replacing the Indian rupee symbol with the Tamil word ‘Ru,’ as the budget logo recently.
Annamalai told reporters that although the ED has quantified the alleged irregularities in TASMAC at Rs 1,000 crore, he estimates it to be “Rs 40,000 crore.”
“This Rs 1,000 crore is tip of the iceberg...this protest will not only shake up TN politics but will pave the way for ushering in good politics. My guess is this (scam) will be worth Rs 40,000 crore. But I am in a responsible position, so I am quoting the Rs 1,000 crore mentioned by the ED,” he said.
