Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai's 'En Mann, En Makkal (my land, my people)' Padyatra, hailing it as a “political pilgrimage” aimed at spreading Tamil culture worldwide, exposing DMK's alleged corruption and promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's achievements in the state. The mega event was marked by the absence of significant NDA allies — the PMK and the DMDK. The AIADMK, a key ally, had sent a former minister as representative, hinting at a cold political response. "This En Man, En Makkal is not a mere political padyatra,” Shah declared in his speech. “It aims to take the legacy of Tamil all over the world, to annihilate family dynasty politics, to save Tamil Nadu from corruption, and to reinforce the law and order system in the state.” Annamalai's foot march is expected to cover 700 km, touching upon 234 constituencies. Shah emphasised that the padyatra's purpose was to “strengthen Tamil culture” and convey “the messages of PM Modi”. He praised Modi's promotion of Tamil language, recalling several instances such as his reference to Tamil in the UN General Council, and releasing Thirukkural in the local language of Papua New Guinea. “In the 2024 elections, BJP and all our allies on stage will be elected to Delhi to rule India,” Shah said. He also made pointed accusations of corruption against the DMK and the Congress. The minister asked the crowd, “Let me ask the Tamil people, do you think Kashmir is ours or not? Speak loudly? Kashmir is ours or not?” The question was met with a resounding agreement from the audience. This was a call to a shared national sentiment and a critique of the Opposition parties, which, Shah claimed, criticised Modi's actions in Kashmir as well as the surgical strikes. “Do we need liberation from terrorism? When Modi initiated surgical strikes against terrorists, these were the same UPA parties which criticised it. At the same time, these are the same UPA parties who facilitated the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka too. This entire Opposition gang in India works for their own families, not the country,” Shah said. “Wherever you (the Opposition) go for votes, people will be reminded of the massive corruption you have committed," Shah warned. He cited the Commonwealth Games, the 2G scam, submarine and helicopter scams as instances that the electorate would remember. Throughout his speech, Shah promoted the padyatra as a journey of cultural and political revival, and one that embodies the BJP's commitment to Tamil Nadu's future. Despite the enthusiasm from BJP leaders, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami opted out of the event and sent former minister R B Udayakumar as his representative. Similarly, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss and DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth, two other key allies of BJP in Tamil Nadu, were not present at the inauguration. At a time when the BJP is handling the internal crisis in AIADMK and supporting the official faction led by Palaniswami, former AIADMK leader and AMMK chief T T V Dhinakaran said he was not a part of the NDA, hinting at a deepening chasm within the alliance. Dhinakaran’s statement indicated that the BJP is still confused about having him on board as the party had targeted him and his aunt, V K Sasikala, after J Jayalalithaa’s death in 2017, as a key enemy. As Dhinakaran is working along with another AIADMK rebel leader O Panneerselvam now, both of them are expected to be part of the NDA alliance before 2024 polls. The march's launch from Ramanathapuram coincided with two key announcements from the ruling DMK and the AIADMK. While the DMK announced the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin in a fishermen’s conference in the third week of August in Ramanathapuram to discuss the increasing arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan navy and their traditional fishing rights, the AIADMK launched its district-wise consultative meetings in Ramanathapuram on Thursday ahead of the 2024 polls.
