BJP leader K Annamalai on Monday hit back at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for mocking him at a joint Shiv Sena (UBT)–MNS rally in Mumbai, and said that he would not be intimidated by personal attacks or threats. He also challenged them to stop him from entering Mumbai.
Annamalai was responding to Raj’s “ras malai” jibe at him as well as remarks questioning his presence in Maharashtra politics. During Sunday’s rally at Shivaji Park, both Raj and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had focused their speech on the BJP’s alleged attempts to undermine Mumbai.
“Who are Raj Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed in my village,” Annamalai said, adding, “Some people are holding meetings only to abuse me. I don’t know if I have become that important.”
Speaking in Chennai about the online threats that warned him against visiting Mumbai, the BJP leader said he would go ahead with his plans. “Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai… try cutting my legs,” he said.
Meanwhile, reacting to the MNS chief mocking Annamalai as “ras malai” at the joint Sena (UBT)–MNS rally at Shivaji Park, Shiv Sena leader Shaina N C criticised the personal nature of the attack. “Raj Thackeray should be talking about his work instead of disrespecting people,” Shaina said, adding that elections should be fought on issues of governance and performance rather than abuse and name-calling.
The statement that triggered the row
The remarks come days after Annamalai’s statement to media on Friday when he called for the Centre, the state and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to align their vision for Mumbai, describing it as an “international city”.
The BJP leader from Tamil Nadu was in the city to campaign for party councillors ahead of the BMC polls, and was focusing on wards with a sizeable Tamil-speaking population. On Friday and Saturday, Annamalai campaigned in Malad West and Charkop in Western Mumbai.
Speaking to reporters at the time, Annamalai emphasised the party’s development agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state. “…because Bombay is not a city of Maharashtra, it is an international city. And this city has a budget of Rs 75,000 crore, which is not a small budget. Chennai has a budget of Rs 8,000 crore, Bengaluru Rs 19,000 crore. You need good people sitting in the administration to manage the finances,” Annamalai had said.
The statement, however, triggered backlash from regional leaders, who accused him of undermining Maharashtra’s claim over Mumbai. The Thackeray brothers said the BJP wanted to break Mumbai to dominate Marathi manoos and hand it over to industrialists.
Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “We have been stating this from the beginning that the BJP does not consider Mumbai as the state’s city. Now, one Annamalai from Tamil Nadu has said that Mumbai is not a city of Maharashtra… The remark is a tight slap on Eknath Shinde, who boasts of leading the ‘original’ Shiv Sena. Why are they silent on this remark?”
Raut demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately file charges against Annamalai and get him arrested.
Annamalai, however, rejected the charge, saying his comments were being deliberately misinterpreted. “If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean Maharashtrians did not build it?” he asked, adding that his focus was on governance, not regional identity.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders have downplayed the controversy, saying the Opposition was trying to “twist” the statement by quoting things out if context. State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “Sometimes you have to take a remark in its context and not read the statement just by words. I don’t think Annamalai was trying to undermine Mumbai. What he was trying to indicate was the city’s great significance.”
An emotive plank in Maharashtra politics
Given its historic past, Mumbai has always been a sensitive topic. And Mumbai’s right to remain as the capital of Maharashtra has always been an emotive plank in successive polls in Maharashtra.
During the formation of states based on linguistic population, Gujarat was vying for Mumbai (then Bombay), while Maharashtra insisted that it should remain with the state. The Samyukta Maharashtra Movement from 1956 to 1960 saw prominent leaders across political parties and social outfits uniting after setting aside sharp ideological differences to fight to retain Mumbai in Maharashtra. Finally, the state of Maharashtra was carved out on May 1, 1960, with Mumbai as its capital.
The undivided Shiv Sena, led by Bal Thackeray, had always used Mumbai to strike a chord with people during the elections. Over the years, the issue was relegated to the back burner. However, since PM Modi-Amit Shah took over the reins of power in Delhi, Opposition parties have campaigned over the renewed threat to Mumbai under the BJP rule.
Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal said, “BJP leaders are undermining Mumbai’s status by making irresponsible remarks. Under the Modi-Shah regime, we have seen Maharashtra lose several important big-ticket projects to Gujarat. The international financial status of Mumbai was also undermined by the central leadership.”
The Thackeray brothers have echoed similar sentiments in poll rallies. “They want to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. From diamond border to international financial capital, BJP leaders have given Gujarat greater preference over Mumbai,” Uddhav said on Monday, adding, “Why are mega projects relocated from Mumbai to Gujarat? Their action gives scope to raise questions about their commitment to city.”
Fadnavis, however, dismissed the ‘threat to Mumbai’ as a fake narrative of Opposition parties. “In every election, the Opposition brings this narrative that Mumbai will be broken from Maharashtra. It is imaginary. It is a false alarm as the Opposition does not have any issue to counter the BJP on.”
“I have said, let Uddhav Thackeray give one example of development work done during his tenure for Mumbai. If anybody shows me even one project, I am willing to give that individual Rs 3,000,” the chief minister added.
Retorting sharply, Uddhav said, “We have the Mumbai model. I challenge the BJP to show its model. I will give Rs 1 lakh.”
The absence of its former state president, K Annamalai has become the defining feature of the line-up. (File Photo) 
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