The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu unit has begun organizing public meetings across all districts of Tamil Nadu from 12 February to 15 February 2025 to explain the key aspects of the central government’s 2025-2026 budget.
BJP State Vice President Karu Nagarajan announced that these meetings will be led by BJP district leaders and held in major cities across the state. The first session took place on Wednesday, 12 February 2025 in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. BJP State President K. Annamalai and former State President Tamilisai Soundararajan addressed the gathering. In her speech at this event, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan spoke about DMK MP Kanimozhi’s actions before the parliamentary elections, particularly regarding her stance on Periyar and the political landscape in Tamil Nadu.
According to the Tamilisai, Kanimozhi, who was contesting in Thoothukudi, allegedly replaced an image of Periyar on her Twitter profile with a palm tree the day before the election. Tamilisai questioned whether this move signified a shift in priorities and accused her of undermining Periyar’s legacy for electoral gains. “Kanimozhi thought that the palm tree would get more votes than Periyar, and now they are talking about respect for his legacy,” she said. The controversy follows earlier criticisms where Kanimozhi reportedly claimed, “If you speak wrongly about Periyar, you will not get votes.”
Tamilisai also contrasted Tamil Nadu’s political discourse and the broader national narrative. “All the state parliamentarians are talking about development. Only those from this state are talking about Sanskrit and Hindu identity,” she remarked. She also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Tamil-language Thaipusam greetings as an example of national inclusivity, juxtaposing it with the DMK’s alleged neglect of Tamil cultural representation.
Further, the speech took a strong stance against the DMK, accusing its members of using the party flag as a shield for criminal activities. “Today, we are looking at the criminals who waved the DMK flag for all the robberies happening in this country. If the DMK flag is used, it becomes a license,” Tamilisai charged. The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a Tamil woman, was praised as a ‘budget for the common people.’ “Respected Nirmala Sitharaman, a Tamil woman, presented the budget in Parliament for the eighth time in a row. People from Tamil Nadu should garland the Prime Minister for this,” she stated. The argument was made that Tamil Nadu should recognize and appreciate the representation of Tamil women in national politics, asserting that the BJP was providing opportunities for them.
The speech concluded with a call for political change, suggesting that the DMK’s dominance in Tamil Nadu was waning. “This sister and brother (referring to Annamalai) are sending Stalin home together. The saffron flag should fly in Tamil Nadu,” she declared. Tamilisai also invoked historical political shifts, drawing parallels between past electoral outcomes and the present scenario. “See if you like it or not, I am telling you, brother Annamalai, this Bharatiya Janata Party is equal to our life,“ she asserted. She added, “Anna is not the one who propagated Tamil, it was Andal. It was not Periyar who propagated Tamil, it was Periyalwar and one must understand it was not Periyar who did it.” She also reaffirmed her undying support for the BJP, advocating for the party’s expansion in Tamil Nadu and calling for greater recognition of Tamil cultural figures.
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