Former IPS Officer Annamalai joins BJP in Delhi
New Delhi: Former IPS officer Kuppusamy Annamalai joined the BJP on Tuesday, asserting that he will work to bring the "nationalist spirit" to Tamil Nadu.
Joining the BJP at its national headquarters here, Annamalai heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he embodies a leader's qualities of fearlessness, courage, knowledge and giving spirit.
"I will work to strengthen what the BJP stands for and to bring that nationalist spirit to the state of Tamil Nadu," the 36-year-old former police officer, who has been involved in social work since quitting the IPS, told reporters.
BJP general secretary P Muralidhar Rao, who is his party's in-charge for the state, said the party has been attracting people from different segments into its fold in the state, which has been traditionally dominated by the two Dravidian parties, AIADMK and DMK.
He said it is very important to strengthen nationalist movement in Tamil Nadu, which will go to the assembly polls in the first half of the next year. Tamil Nadu BJP chief L Murugan was also present at the joining ceremony. Annamalai later met BJP national president J P Nadda.
Nadda had on Monday assailed the opposition DMK in Tamil Nadu, accusing it of being a "sheltering ground for people not working in the interest of the nation" and "always inciting feelings against the national spirit."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
If Bumrah is not fit then a score of around 200 also might not be enough: Gavaskar
Sydney, Jan 4: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels India will struggle to defend even 200 in case premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah is unable to bowl at full throttle on the third day of the fifth and final Test against Australia here on Sunday.
Bumrah had left the field for scans during the second day's post-lunch session after bowling just one over, having experienced some discomfort. However, he returned to the dressing room after undergoing precautionary scans for an unspecified niggle.
India pacer Prasidh Krishna said his skipper had suffered back spasm.
The medical team was monitoring him as India ended the day 145 runs in front with four second innings wickets left on a SCG track which is aiding the bowlers.
"Look, if India scores 40 more runs or they put 185 on the board then they have a great chance but it all depends on Jasprit Bumrah's fitness. If Jasprit Bumrah is fit then 145-150 might be enough. But if Bumrah is not fit then a score of around 200 also might not be enough," said Gavaskar on Star Sports on Saturday.
Gavaskar also said maintaining secrecy around Bumrah's status is not going to help the Australians, who have so far struggled to counter the threat posed by the Indian pace spearhead.
"One thing that I liked was when he came back after the scan, obviously it took a lot of time because the hospital is a bit far, but he looked in good shape and his body language was such that there was no indication of the Australian team and it is very important to maintain the secrecy.
"Because, tactically you do not want to announce whether Bumrah will be available for bowling or not, and even if he is not available and this news goes across the opposition dressing room because till now Australian batsmen haven't found out a way to counter him, they don’t know whether they should attack, defend, or whether they should play on front-foot.
"So to execute this plan it is important to maintain secrecy, so Bumrah and the Indian team management managed it quite well," Gavaskar said.
The pacer has already taken 32 wickets in the series, and had figures of 2/33 in 10 overs before leaving the field, having removed Marnus Labuschagne in the morning session and Usman Khawaja on the last ball of the first evening.
