The AIADMK on Tuesday passed a resolution against Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai for his remarks about former Chief Minister late Jayalalithaa, urging the BJP's central leadership to take immediate action against him.
When asked during a recent interview if the period between 1991 and 1996, when Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, was among the worst periods in terms of corruption, Annamalai had said: "Many administrations in Tamil Nadu were corrupt. Former Chief Ministers have been convicted in courts of law. That is why Tamil Nadu has become one of the most corrupt states. I would say it is number one in corruption."
At the meeting of district secretaries presided over by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, a resolution was passed against Annamalai asking the BJP's central leadership to take immediate action against him for making such derogatory comments.
The AIADMK is infuriated at Annamalai after he indirectly termed Jayalalithaa as 'corrupt'. The former Tamil Nadu chief minister was convicted in several cases of corruption during her term and had spent time in jail too.
However, AIADMK and BJP are alliance partners in Tamil Nadu and they fought together in the last Assembly elections. Sources in the BJP told IANS that the party's central leadership is likely to listen to AIADMK's plea and there could be some changes in the party hierarchy in the state.
The ongoing row between AIADMK and BJP chief Annamalai is not new. Former CM and the party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. (EPS) had in April given a clean chit to Annamalai over his remarks on the non- utilization of funds meant for Covid relief.
(With inputs from IANS)
