News Tamil Nadu

“Won’t Apologize”: BJP Leader Annamalai Takes Hounding Dravidian Stockist Journos To The Cleaners

November 1, 2022
The Commune

BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai visited the Kottai Eswaran Temple in Coimbatore, the site where a gas cylinder-laden car exploded on the wee hours of the day before Deepavali (October 24, 2022) in which one Jamesa Mubin, a suspected terrorist was killed.

The incident is suspected to be a terror attack as nails and ball bearing were recovered from the spot and bomb-making chemicals were recovered from the house of Jamesa Mubin.

BJP leader Annamalai along with other senior leaders of the party and cadres participated in the Kandha Sashti Kavasam recital, the devotional hymn dedicated Lord Murugan. The Kandha Sashti Kavasam was the hymn which was slandered and denigrated by Karuppar Kootam, a YouTube channel run by rabid followers of ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy Naicker with close links with the DMK.

After visiting the temple, Annamalai addressed a press meet during which he was hounded by two Dravidian Stockist journalists – Shabbir Ahmed of The News Minute and Lakshmi Subramanian of The Week.

Both the Dravidian Stockist journalists demanded an apology from Annamalai as they alleged that he had insulted media persons by calling them as ‘monkeys’ in a recent press meet.

The Incident

Annamalai who had addressed a protest meeting against the DMK government in Cuddalore on 27 October 2022 was mobbed by media reporters despite there being no press meet arranged. Annamalai was asked to comment on the Coimbatore car explosion to which he had said “Why are you surrounding me like monkeys jumping in a tree? What did I tell you before going to lunch? Didn’t I respectfully ask you all to have lunch and go? I can’t react to comments of dogs, ghosts and liquor sellers.”.

This was made an issue by DMK and Dravidian Stockist journalists in Tamil Nadu.

Won’t Apologize, Boycott Me If You Want To: Annamalai

Referring to this incident Shabbir of Ahmed of The News Minute (TNM) and Lakshmi Subramanian of The Week hounded Annamalai demanding an apology at the Coimbatore press meet on 31 October 2022.

When TNM’s Shabbir asked if calling reporters as ‘monkeys’ was right, the BJP leader clarified that he did not call any reporter as monkey but had just asked why they were mobbing him like monkeys without giving him the space and time to talk. Shabbir then went on to add that both are the same to which Annamalai replied “In the Tamil that you know, if you think that calling someone ‘monkey’ and ‘like a monkey’ is the same, I can’t do anything about it. If I say someone walked like a tiger or clawed like a tiger, does that mean you are a tiger? If I say Shabbir Ahmed asked question like a tiger, let’s see if he bites me. These are all metaphors.”

Annamalai also called out the double standards of the Dravidian Stockist journalists pointing out to the lukewarm condemnation when DMK leader RS Bharathi had called media as “red light media”.

When Shabbir pointed that he is calling out Sun News in press meets, Annamalai retorted back asking if Sun TV and Kalaignar TV are neutral channels. He also said that he would release the profile of the said reporter from Sun News who is a DMK supporter.

“All of you are here. Pease don’t lower your standards by calling Sun TV as neutral media. It has got a fixed agenda. It is run by a party. How can you call it a news channel? You’re calling Murasoli (DMK’s mouthpiece) a neutral channel? Sun TV has got an agenda, Kalaignar TV has got an agenda, Murasoli has got an agenda. They are not neutrla channels. They belong to a political party. They all have an agenda.

Annamalai also called out Dravidian Stockist propagandists with agenda masquerading as ‘journalists’. “99% of the media are doing a truthful and honest job. We’ve our righteous anger against a few journalists. Their way of reporting is mischievous reporting.” Annamalai said.

When Lakshmi Subramanian said “We demand your apology”, Annamalai categorically refused saying “I cannot apologize. I never made a mistake. I will not apologize. It is not there in my blood. When I have not done anything wrong, why should I apologize. Beyond that, it is your choice to cover me or not. You can cover the news about me or block my news. That’s your wish. When I have not made a mistake, I won’t apologize. I leave it to your wisdom.”

Shabbir later interjects and tells Annamalai “Don’t invite press. Why is your PRO is sending messages?”.

Annamalai concluded by saying “If you think Annamalai has made a mistake, you have the complete right to boycott me. I have not made a mistake so I will not apologize. Why should I apologize when I have not made a mistake? I have a problem with agenda journalists. If you take your individual decision to boycott me, I welcome it. Thank you.”

In the video that is going viral on social media, TNM’s Shabbir Ahmed can be see standing with one leg raised coming across as disrespectful. Many on social media lashed out at Shabbir asking if he can carry the same body language in front of DMK leaders. A few also recalled the instance when Shabbir was attacked by DMK cadres in 2014.

On the other hand, Lakshmi Subramanian who can be heard demanding an apology from Annamalai shared a tweet in which she had retweeted the tweet of alleged ‘author’ Meena Kandasamy where she had referred to Annamalai as a ‘goat’, a term used by DMK and other Dravidian Stockists to derogate Annamala’s goat farming background.

People also dug out mischievous tweets of Lakshmi Subramanian in which she had indirectly implied that she wished for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s death.

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