At the ABP Southern Rising Summit 2025 in Chennai, former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai strongly rejected claims of a Brahmin-non-Brahmin divide within the state unit of the party, while asserting that Brahmins in Tamil Nadu historically faced severe persecution.
The remarks came during the session titled “The Endurance Test: Politics and the Ironman”, when the moderator asked him directly about allegations that a “strong Brahmin lobby” inside the BJP had become inactive or resistant after he took charge, leading to tensions within the party.
Responding, Annamalai said he would not “dignify” the suggestion but proceeded to address it.
“Ma’am I don’t want to dignify that but still you have put me a question in a public forum it is my duty to answer,” he began, before making his strongest statements yet on the caste politics of Tamil Nadu.
“I think the Brahmins in Tamil Nadu — again I’m putting it on record — if there is one community I can compare to the persecution of Jews that happened around 1940s, it is the Brahmins of Tamil Nadu very clearly. The 1940s/50s/60s [were] very terrible time for them. I continuously voice my opinion on it. I say it is still Brahmin-bashing politics that is happening in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He accused the DMK and other political parties of routinely using Brahmins as a political target. “DMK [and] many political parties keep Brahmin as the center, attack them and then try to consolidate the other community votes,” he said, adding that he wanted to position all communities, including Brahmins, at the “center stage” of the BJP’s politics.
On the internal dynamics of the state BJP during his tenure, Annamalai said differences were natural when new leadership enters at a young age and takes on major responsibilities. “37, 38 you enter politics, you are in a responsibility, you are disturbing a lot of feathers… people have run the party for a long time… but with respect to cooperation, everybody gave their fullest cooperation,” he said.
Emphasising that he did not view the party through the lens of caste, he said: “I want to put Brahmins at the center stage of what we do. Other community at the center stage of what we do… OBC at the center stage… the SC/ST at the center stage… because politics have to be inclusive.”
He concluded by reiterating an all-inclusive approach. “I tried my best to make sure [the party] belongs to everybody… It belongs to all castes. So I don’t believe per se in caste. I’m a born Hindu. I respect all religion. I’m a proud Bharatiya.”
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