Bharatiya Janata Party leader K Annamalai has thrown down the gauntlet to Raj Thackeray, declaring that no amount of physical threats or "political bullying" will stop him from visiting Mumbai. Speaking on Monday, the former IPS officer brushed off warnings of violence following a heated MNS-UBT joint rally where the Thackeray cousins reportedly took aim at him.
"Who are Aditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me?" Annamalai asked, leaning into his background as a farmer's son to signal he wasn't easily rattled. He specifically addressed social media posts and media reports suggesting he would be physically harmed — with some even threatening to "cut his legs"— if he set foot in the city. "I will visit Mumbai. Try it," he challenged. "If I were the type to be scared of such talk, I would have stayed in my village."
The row started when Raj Thackeray, during a campaign rally for the upcoming January 15 civic polls, mocked the BJP leader by calling him "rasmalai" and revived the old 1960s-era slogan, "Hatao lungi, bajao pungi." The phrase was famously used by Bal Thackeray decades ago during the Shiv Sena’s early campaigns targeting South Indian migrants.
Annamalai hit back at the rhetoric, arguing that the attacks had moved beyond personal insults and were now mocking Tamil culture and attire. He also dismissed the idea that praising Mumbai or the legendary Tamil leader K Kamaraj somehow insulted Marathi pride. "If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does that mean Maharashtrians didn't build it? Only an ignorant person would think so," he said.
Interestingly, Annamalai also pointed out the "surprising" silence of the Dravida Munntra Kazhagam, noting that while they usually claim to be the protectors of Tamil identity, they are currently allied with the Shiv Sena (UBT), whose platform is now hosting these anti-Tamil jibes. With the municipal elections in Mumbai and Pune just days away, Annamalai made it clear he has no intention of backing down, asserting that the era of "politics through intimidation" is over.
Also read: Thiruparankundram issue: Annamalai calls DMK 'anti-Hindu'
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