Annamalai's remarks about Mumbai misconstrued for political gains, says BJP MLA
Mumbai (PTI): BJP MLA R Tamil Selvan on Monday defended party leader K Annamalai's remarks about Mumbai, saying his statements, aimed at highlighting the city's global importance, had been deliberately misconstrued for political gains.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) last week demanded that Annamalai be arrested for his remark that "Bombay is not a Maharashtra city".
While campaigning for the January 15 civic body elections last week, former IPS officer and ex-Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai had said, "People want a triple engine government. This is the only metro city in the country where a triple engine is possible. Modi is in Delhi, Fadnavis is the chief minister, and now Mumbai will have a BJP mayor. Mumbai is not a Maharashtra city but an international city."
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Talking to reporters, Selvan, who represents the Sion Koliwada assembly constituency, said, "Our leader Annamalai described Mumbai as a city respected across the world. What he wanted to say was that Mumbai is becoming the world's number one city, mainly because of the blessings of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Be it the Metro project, road construction or the provision of services, Mumbai has emerged as an important city on the global front. Annamalai was talking in this context."
The BJP leader's words were being distorted for political gains, he said.
"How can anyone separate Mumbai from Maharashtra? Not even a prime minister will be able to do it. Annamalai did not say those words out of disrespect. He was only saying that Mumbai has a global identity," he said.
Responding to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray's "Rasmalai" jibe at Annamalai, Selvan said, "Raj Thackeray is a senior leader, and many respect him. I still respect him, but he should respect others as well. I am also from Tamil Nadu, but I have won the assembly elections thrice with the support of around 90,000 Marathi voters. They did not see my background."
The BJP gives tickets to people who serve the society, he said.
Selvan claimed that he had worked extensively in Maharashtra, even in rural areas, and invoked icons such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Lokmanya Tilak in his speeches.
In a dig at his critics, the BJP MLA said, "Now people have seen who uses foul language against our chief minister, who works for the people's welfare. We oppose such use of foul language. CM Fadnavis will take appropriate action against such people."
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Satyagraha sparks political storm in Kerala as CM accuses Centre of financial squeeze
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala saw a heated political showdown on Monday as state ministers led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to the streets with a Satyagraha, accusing the BJP-led Centre of squeezing the state financially.
What followed was a war of words, with the BJP hitting back hard and the Congress keeping its distance, turning the issue into a three-cornered political battle.
Standing before party leaders, ministers and supporters at the Martyrs' Column in Palayam here, Vijayan said Kerala had been pushed into an "extraordinary struggle" to protect its rights.
He told the gathering that the Centre was trying to "snatch away" what the Constitution had guaranteed to the states.
According to him, this was not just about money, but about dignity, federalism and democracy.
"This is a struggle for the survival of this land and its people. Believing that all authority rests in their hands, the rulers at the Centre are arbitrarily usurping our rights," Vijayan said, a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the funds given to the state during the NDA period were more than three times higher than what it received during the Congress-led UPA period.
"The present situation has compelled us to take to struggle in order to protect those rights. This is an extraordinary and grave circumstance," the veteran CPI(M) leader said.
He said the Union government was treating Kerala with bias and political vengeance.
The cuts in grants and borrowing limits, he claimed, were meant to choke the state financially.
Vijayan pointed out that Kerala was supposed to get Rs 12,000 crore between January and March, but was denied Rs 5,900 crore without any clear reason. This, he said, had made it difficult for the government to pay bills and run welfare schemes smoothly.
The CM also accused the Union government of centralising power and using money to reward states ruled by friendly parties while punishing opposition-ruled states like Kerala.
He reminded the people of how Kerala was denied permission to receive foreign aid during the 2018 floods and how support was lacking after the Wayanad landslide. These were, Vijayan said, clear examples of discrimination.
Rejecting claims of financial mismanagement, he said the state had continued to invest in welfare, development and jobs despite financial pressure.
Taking on Amit Shah's claim that Kerala received more funds under the Modi government, Vijayan said tax devolution was not a gift, but a constitutional right. He accused the Centre of interfering with the Finance Commission and quoted NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam.
"Subrahmanyam, who is currently serving as the CEO of NITI Aayog, has stated that soon after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi exerted pressure on the Finance Commission to reduce the tax share of states," he said.
The chief minister said the Finance Commission had recommended 42 per cent for states and that there was an attempt to cut it to 33 per cent. He added that the Prime Minister had not denied this claim.
"When Amit Shah cites figures, he must also clarify these facts. Perhaps realising that none of this can be defended, he has now resorted to dreaming about a distant future," he said.
Calling for wider protests, Vijayan said Kerala would fight legally and politically to protect federalism and ensure its rightful share. He also criticised the Congress-led UDF for not standing with the state at this crucial time.
But the BJP hit back almost immediately. State BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Left government was trying to fool the public.
He said a government that had ruled for nearly 10 years had no excuse to shift blame.
"A government that has ruled for 10 years should explain what it has done for the people. That is the basic courtesy in a democracy," Chandrasekhar told a press conference here.
He challenged Vijayan to a public debate on governance and finances. He claimed that Kerala received Rs 72,000 crore during UPA rule, but Rs 3.2 lakh crore under the NDA.
He argued that nearly Rs 7 lakh crore had come through central assistance and borrowings in the last decade, and over Rs 10 lakh crore including revenue receipts.
Chandrasekhar said central schemes worth Rs 16,000 crore were not implemented and pointed to water shortages, unpaid contractors and homelessness.
Meanwhile, the Congress-led UDF chose not to join the protest.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan said his party would not be part of what he called political drama by the LDF.
He alleged an "unholy understanding" between the CPI(M) and the BJP and said the Left was pretending to fight the Centre while quietly supporting its policies.
"If we participate in such protests, we too will lose credibility," he said.
Later in a post on X, Vijayan said Kerala's share in tax devolution, grants and scheme funds have been reduced.
"We have suffered a total revenue loss of Rs 57,000 crores due to the Union Government’s financial discrimination against us."
He said the state was merely demanding what is rightfully owed to it, not any handout from the Union Government.
"Kerala stands firm in its resolve and will resist every attempt to subvert states' constitutional rights," Vijayan said.
