Suriya Shiva with TN BJP chief K Annamalai. (Supplied)
Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on 22 November issued three statements: One was about suspending actor-turned-politician Gayathri Raguramm for six months for allegedly bringing disrepute to the party; another was about barring OBC Morcha’s General Secretary Suriya Shiva from party events until a one-man committee constituted by the leadership submitted its report on the controversial phone conversation between him and minority wing chief Daisy Saran; and the third was a direction to party leaders asking them not to appear for interviews on YouTube channels without prior permission.
All three statements yet again brought to fore the rumblings within the state unit of the saffron party.
In October, the party found itself in an embarrassing situation over the differences of opinion between Annamalai and senior leaders like BJP Mahila Morcha President and Coimbatore (South) MLA Vanathi Srinivasan and National Executive Member CP Radhakrishnan over calling a bandh in Coimbatore on 31 October condemning the “lethargic attitude” of the DMK government in dealing with terrorism, especially in connection with the car blast in the city.
While both Vanathi and Radhakrishnan gave the call for a bandh, the legal counsel of the BJP state chief told the Madras High Court that Annamalai had not made any such announcement.
When Annamalai was in Coimbatore on the proposed day of the bandh to visit the Kottai Eswaran temple — outside which a Maruti-800 car had exploded on 23 October, killing 29-year-old Jamesha Mubin — Vanathi and Radhakrishnan did not accompany him.
Likewise, the recent controversies surrounding Gayathri Raguramm and Suriya Shiva have also led to many raising questions about the functioning of the state unit of the BJP and the leadership capabilities of Annamalai.
The Tamil Nadu BJP is drawing flak on social media over a leaked conversation between Suriya Shiva and Daisy Saran, in which the former hurled distasteful abuses, threatened sexual violence, and issued death threats to the Minority Wing chief allegedly because he was upset over the appointment of certain party functionaries in Trichy.
After the audio went viral, Annamalai issued a statement saying that Suriya, who recently joined the BJP and is the son of DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, has been barred from attending party events until a disciplinary committee led by Kanaka Sabapathi carried out an internal inquiry and submitted his report. The committee was given seven days to submit the report.
This, however, invited more criticism against Annamalai as Opposition parties like the DMK and others asked why he was reluctant to take action against Suriya, who threatened and abused a woman party colleague in a derogatory manner.
Many reminded the state BJP chief about how he took to the streets to lead a protest against DMK functionary Saidai Sadiq after he made objectionable remarks against women BJP leaders like Khushbu Sundar, Gayathri Raguramm, Namitha and Gowthami.
While demanding Saidai Sadiq’s arrest, Annamalai had said: “Take action against those in your party (DMK) who speak in a distasteful manner against women. Through that, send across a message to the society that the government would not tolerate anyone who acts or speaks against women. Do you (MK Stalin) have the courage to say that? Stalin doesn’t have the courage. But the BJP has the courage to do it.”
He added: “When BJP comes to power, people who speak badly about women will not have their tongues and those who attack women, will not have their hands. That’s the kind of government we will create.”
Picture from the protest by BJP women wing against the objectionable speech made by DMK member Saidai Sadiq in which state Chief K Annamalai also participated.
This, according to political commentators and critics of the BJP, highlighted the double standards of Annamalai and the saffron party when it comes to dealing with harassment of women. They also cited previous instances where action was not taken by the BJP state leadership in similar cases.
For example, in September 2022, BJP state General Secretary Pon Balaganapathy was seen inappropriately touching former MP Sasikala Pushpa at a public event. Despite being caught on camera, no action was taken against the BJP leader. A senior leader told South First that the party did not take action as it had not received any complaint regarding the matter.
In the case of Daisy Saran, in one of her interviews to a Tamil news website, she claimed that though the issue was brought to the notice of Annamalai several days back, instead of taking strict action, he only gave advice to both of them.
“This issue happened around 15 days back… Annamalai called both me and Suriya and advised us. I wanted stern action to be taken. This kind of a soft approach isn’t enough. If a state leader like me has to face this, imagine what would happen to other women who come into the party?” she asked.
This added fuel to the political fire, with many accusing Annamalai of trying to brush the issue under the carpet.
With pressure mounting, Annamalai told reporters on Wednesday that he has asked the inquiry committee to submit its report by Thursday and that further action would be taken based on it. “Despite it being a private conversation between two individuals, if they are found to be wrong, action will be taken against them,” he said.
As for Gayathri Raguramm, the BJPs’ Other States and Overseas Tamil Development Wing president, she was suspended for a period of six months for continuously “violating party discipline” and “bringing disrepute” to the party. In his statement, Annamalai also asked other members and cadres not to have any truck with her.
Gayathri and Annamalai have not been on good terms for several months now. According to sources in the BJP, what triggered the action against her was some of her social media posts about party affairs.
For instance, Gayathri put out a series of tweets expressing her unhappiness over not being invited for the inauguration for the Kashi Tamil Sangamam, an initiative Prime Minister Modi has taken a special interest in, despite being a part of the committee.
I miss #Kashi_Tamil_Sangamam I’m upset. Feeling ignored. Sometimes I wonder my hardwork is going in vain.
— Gayathri Raguramm 🇮🇳🚩 (@BJP_Gayathri_R) November 19, 2022
Similarly, she has tweeted against Selva Kumar, vice president of the BJP’s Industrial Wing, for allegedly unleashing trolls against her and other senior BJP leaders in order to “take them down”.
On 20 November, when supporters of Annamalai, citing the huge crowd that turned up for his public meeting in Nilgiris, claimed the party base in the district had grown in the last two years (after Annamalai took over), Gayathri once again took to Twitter to say that the BJP has had a strong footing in the Nilgiris for a long time, and such claims would diminish the hard work put in by other leaders over the years.
She also reacted to the leaked phone conversation between Daisy Saran and Suriya Shiva. In a series of tweets, she said: “He (Annamalai) promised to cut the tongues of those who speak badly about women. So why go against women leaders of your own party. It was a big mistake to give state-level posts to these hyenas (Suriya).”
This, however, is not the first time Gayathri is getting into trouble with the state leadership. After a confrontation with former BJP state chief Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and critical social media posts, Gayathri was removed from the party in November 2018. She was re-inducted two years ago, and was later appointed president of its Art and Culture Wing.
In May this year, she was relieved of the post and given the Other States and Overseas Tamil Development Wing after a reshuffle within the party. Gayathri was apparently miffed with Annamalai over this too.
After she was suspended from the party, Gayathri started speaking openly against Annamalai. Responding to his statement announcing disciplinary action against her, she wondered how action could be taken against her without proper inquiry or without asking her to show cause.
“I will not accept that I’m against BJP party. I will smack anyone who says that. No individual is a party… He always wanted me out from day one. I will come back stronger,” the actor-turned-politician opined.
He always wanted me out from day one. I will come back stronger.
— Gayathri Raguramm 🇮🇳🚩 (@BJP_Gayathri_R) November 22, 2022
She also questioned how the state leadership could overlook people who have worked hard for the party for several years and instead favour new entrants such as Suriya Shiva.
Asked about this by reporters, Annamalai replied: “Let’s compare the party to a bus. I’m ready to allow three people to get inside the bus even if it means I have to ask four of them to get down from it… If the party has to grow, new people should come in. It is worth the risk.
“How can the party grow if people keep saying that they were the first ones to board the bus or they were in the party for 30 years? In the coming days, those who try to block the progress of the party, will get them removed from the bus. Seats must be given to the new entrants as well.”
He also added that disciplinary action against those who have crossed the “Llakshman rekha” has begun and that no one would be spared if found to be violating party discipline.
May 03, 2024
May 03, 2024
May 03, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
May 02, 2024
