Chennai, June 3 Multiple cases have been filed across Tamil Nadu against BJP state President K. Annamalai over a recent "derogatory" Twitter post.
A case was filed against him in Tirunelveli after VCK functionary Murugan requested the Police Commissioner to register a case against him. TPDK leaders have also filed a case against him at Coimbatore.
However, police have yet to register FIRs in both cases.
Murugan, in his complaint, said that Annamalai had used the term 'Pariah' in a tweet he made on May 30 and that the term was used to represent oppressed people worldwide. He said that it was earlier used in a derogatory way to refer lower caste groups, who were earlier called untouchables.
The BJP president has in his tweet on May 30 said: "From hopelessness to Hope. From parochial mindset to nation first, From dilly-dallying to Conviction, From one-sided to Holistic Development. From a pariah to ViswaGuru. From Dark to Light, 8 years and counting with Shri@narendramodi avl as our first servant #8yearsOfSeva".
Murugan said that Annamalai was a former IPS officer and that he was well aware of the society and law of the land. He said that Annamalai had posted a derogatory comment against one particular community on social media platforms even after being in a responsible position as the state BJP President.
In his complaint to the Police Commissioner, he said that this would only encourage caste and social disharmony, and Annamalai must be booked under the SC/ST(Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
In Coimbatore, the TPDK complaint against the BJP leader called for the police to act against him under the SC/ST Act.
TPDK leader Ramakrishnan in the complaint said: "While celebrating Modi's eight years, Annamalai has said that "From hopelessness to hope" for the community and these words are used because he thinks that they are oppressed and of the thought that they are below some and that is why he used the word, Pariah. If that word is used then SC/ST Act should be used against the person. The way Annamalai had used it is like insulting the community."
However, Annamalai responded to this and clarified his stand and said that he has used the word pariah "which was not equal to the word Paraiar which denotes the highly respected Sambava Hindu community".
"I am fully aware that the name 'Yanaiyerum Perum Paraiar' is the title Hindu Sanatanadharma gave to this great community which has civilizational and foundational contributions to Bharat that is India. So that I used the term 'Pariah' to demean the community is wrong and mischievous".
The BJP state president is also facing stiff opposition from within the party and rumblings have already begun in the party over his style of functioning. A senior party leader told that Annamalai "is not understanding the ground realities it seems and this is not policing but politics, and several leaders have been sidelined in the party which does not augur well for the future of BJP in the state".
The party ally and the main opposition party, the AIADMK are also unhappy over the functioning of the BJP and its Organisation Secretary and former minister, C. Ponnayian has already fired the salvo against the BJP a couple of days before.
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