News Tamil Nadu

BJP Member Arrested Over Alleged Tiger Claw Possession By Forest Dept After His Tonsure Video Goes Viral

June 8, 2024
The Commune

Following the defeat of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party leader K Annamalai’s defeat in the Coimbatore constituency, a BJP member, Jayashankar, in Paramankurichi, Thoothukudi district, made headlines by tonsuring his head in a symbolic gesture after he lost a bet with members of another party. The video of this tonsuring quickly spread across social media platforms. This surprisingly led to his arrest  by forest department police over alleged possession of tiger claws. The officials initiated an investigation into the matter.

In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the DMK alliance secured victory in all 40 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, defeating both the AIADMK alliance and the BJP alliance across the board. Notably, Annamalai, who contested in the Coimbatore Lok Sabha seat, suffered a defeat, losing by a margin of 1,17,561 votes to Ganapati Rajkumar, the DMK candidate. Annamalai came in second securing over 4.5 lakh votes.

Despite high expectancy and support from the populace, Annamalai’s defeat by such a margin of votes left his supporters and BJP affiliates dismayed. In response, a BJP executive from Paramankurichi, Thoothukudi district, made a bold wager with members of an opposing party, vowing to tonsure his head and moustache if Annamalai lost in Coimbatore.

The viral footage of the tonsuring incident drew further attention to Jayashankar, the BJP executive, who was seen wearing a distinctive chain around his neck resembling a tiger claw. This raised suspicions among forest officials, prompting an investigation into Jayashankar’s possessions. However, it was discovered that the “tiger claw” was merely a decorative item purchased from street vendors at the Tiruchendur temple a decade ago, and not an actual tiger claw. Following this revelation, the forest department concluded their investigation.

In this regard, the Hindu Makkal Katchi vehemently condemned the action taken by the forest officials, denouncing as hypocrisy. In an official statement posted on its X account, the party ridiculed the perceived inconsistency, stating, “This karyakarta shaved his head in public losing a bet on Annamalai’s loss which became news. TN Forest department promptly arrested him, to check if he was wearing real tiger claws in his chain or any prohibited animal. Remember the goat slaughter. Unbelievable…!!!”

Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.