Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai schooled News18 Tamil Nadu editor Karthigaichelvan for attempting to politicise the Chennai Super Kings’ win over Gujarat Titans as a victory of Tamils led by DMK over Gujaratis led by Modi, a narrative used by DMK and its allies following CSK’s win.
CSK led by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the match against Gujarat Titans by five wickets after Ravindra Jadeja hit a last-ball four to successfully chase down the revised target of 171 in a rain affected match.
While the CSK’s victory was celebrated even by the opponents due to their admiration for Dhoni, the DMK and its IT wing members used the occasion to politicize the sport and call it a victory of the Dravida Model (CSK) over the Gujarat Model (Gujarat Titans). They attempted to portray CSK’s victory as a victory of South over North and DMK over Modi. Some insane DMK supporters attributed the CSK’s victory to Udhayanithi Stalin, the newly appointed Tamil Nadu Sports Minister.
However, CSK fans, celebrities such as Kasthuri Shankar, and the general public trolled the DMK for politicising a sport and urged them to keep their petty politics out of cricket. Cricket fans were united despite the DMK’s vicious campaigning. They claimed that a Tamilian Sudharshan contributed for Gujarat Titans and a Gujarati Ravindra Jadeja contributed for the CSK, and that the DMK should keep politics out of the CSK’s victory.
தமிழனுக்காக அடிச்சது குஜராத்தி.
குஜாராத்திக்காக அடிச்சது தமிழன்.
நீ யாருடா நடுவுல கோமாளி திராவிடன்.
— Mr Indian (@DuvvadaSivabav1) May 30, 2023
Attempting to play the North vs South and Tamil vs Gujarati narrative, News18 Tamil editor Karthigan Selvan, on the lines of the DMK, asked Tamil Nadu BJP president for his opinion on the statements of DMK leaders like TRB Raja viewing CSK’s victory through a political lens as a Tamils victory over Gujaratis.
In his respone, Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai said, “I wanted to respond to everyone (who politicized CSK’s victory) through your channel. The player who hit the winning runs for CSK is a BJP Karyakartha. Jadeja is a BJP Karyakartha, and his wife is a BJP MLA. Jadeja is from Gujarat. As a Tamilian, I am very proud of this. There were more Tamil people in GT than in CSK and I will celebrate that as well. The player who scored 96 runs for Gujarat is a Tamilian. We have to celebrate that too. Not one Tamilian played for CSK, still we support CSK for MS Dhoni. I am proud that the BJP’s Karyakartha scored the winning runs. The same will be repeated in 2024. TRB Raja and his followers in social media should understand this.”
Karthigai Selvan, who brought politics into cricket by quoting DMK’s TRB Raja’s comment on CSK’s victory, questioned Annamalai about his politicising of cricket and cricketers. He asked, “They said that the entire IPL is politicised. Are we now in a position to politicise players? That is a separate debate. However, I say this because you politicised Ravindra Jadeja.”
In response to Karthigai Selvan’s allegation, BJP President Annamalai stated, “I gave a political reply because you asked a political question. Only you pushed me to say that Jadeja is a BJP Karyakartha as you politicized cricket with your question.”
After being caught on air, Karthigai Selvan attempted to divert by claiming that he was talking about politics in cricket in general. This video is now widely shared in the internet.
கிரிக்கெட் விளையாட்டையும் அரசியலாக்கிய திமுகவுக்கு தகுந்த பதிலடி தந்த தலைவர் @annamalai_k
டேக் திஸ் @TRBRajaa pic.twitter.com/qpvzoCDZaY
— Krishna Kumar Murugan (@ikkmurugan) May 30, 2023
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