Hours after Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested for assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, party MLA Udayan Guha on Thursday (29th February) attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali.
Guha, who serves as a Cabinet Minister for the Department of North Bengal Development in the Mamata Banerjee government claimed, “I am not sure if Sheikh Shahjahan has been framed as part of a conspiracy but charges against him are a mistake.”
“He has been falsely implicated. This has been happening ever since ED officials were attacked. “In the past, we have never heard these allegations against Sheikh Shahjahan,” the TMC leader gave Sheikh Shahjahan a clean chit.
While trivialising the gravity of sexual violence, Udayan Guha smirked, “I did not know that he liked to eat pie (referring to the sexual exploitation of women) at 12 o’clock in the night. I knew that desire for such mischiefs happen early or late in the night.”
Coincidentally, the TMC Minister has been accused of committing sexual harassment in his Vidhan Sabha constituency of Dinhata.
In a video that went viral on social media on 21st February this year, a woman was heard saying, “At around 12 am, Udyan Guha and his cronies called to the party office to make ‘pitha’. But I refused and questioned their absurdity of making pitha at midnight. Do they not respect us because we are women? Their fiancéce knows no bounds. I have been subjected to occasional harassment. I pleaded with folded hands, will they not let me live in peace? But they did not listen. Yesterday at around 4 o’clock the Panchayat and booth chairman came and instructed to me to attend tomorrow. But I refused saying that I have some dignity. I begged with folded hands. Their response was more violence.”
Mamata Banerjee’s TMC regime has turned every village in Bengal into a den of horror, akin to #Sandeshkhali.
Today, a gut-wrenching video from Dinhata surfaced, exposing the TMC’s heinous sexual exploitation of vulnerable women, led by the likes of Udyan Guha.
On 8th February this year, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets to protest against land grabbing, non-payment of wages and sexual violence committed by Trinamool Congress goon Sheikh Shahjahan and his two aides Shiba Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar.
The women attacked Shahjahan’s illicitly obtained properties and set fire to a poultry farm owned by Shiba Prasad Hazra. They also surrounded the Sandeshkali police station and demanded the immediate arrest of the trio. The agitation in the village lasted for 3 days.
During that time, the TMC goons retaliated and the police acted as mute spectators. In several cases, the cops themselves resorted to harassment of the women. It had come to light that the residents were the subject of sexual violence by the TMC for a long time.
In a bid to pacify the angry villagers of Sandeshkhali, the TMC leadership suspended Uttam Sardar from the party for six years. The suspended TMC leader and Zilla Parishad member was subsequently arrested in the Sandeshkhali police station area on 10th February 2024.
On 17th February, the police arrested TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra over land grabbing and sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali.
After large-scale protests and intervention of the Calcutta High Court, the primary accused Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on Thursday (29th February).
Sheikh Shahjahan’s close aide, Aamir Ali Gazi, has been arrested by West Bengal Police from Jharkhand, police said on Thursday.
Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years.
TMC leader Derek O’Brien held a press conference here today and said that by the time West Bengal Police was given freedom, it took two days to arrest the culprit.
It is notable here that the TMC leaders, including O’Brien and Abhishek Banerjee, have been claiming that the Bengal Police has been unable to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan because there is a ‘stay’ on his arrest from the Calcutta HC. This was a bold lie, and the Calcutta High Court itself had clarified it, asking the state police to arrest the absconding TMC leader soon.
On Monday, 26th February, the Calcutta HC had come down heavily on the police and Bengal government. “It is surprising to note that incidents in the area were reported to state police four years ago and that it has taken four years for the cases to mature into 42 chargesheets”, the High Court said.
The court further asserted, “A wrong impression has been created as if an interim order of stay of arrest has been given. There is nothing on record to say that such a stay is in place. Therefore he should be arrested.”
The Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, taking a su moto case, directed the High Court registry to issue a public notice in newspapers informing that Shahjahan Sheikh is wanted by the police as he is on the run and has not been seen in public since January 5.
During the press conference, Derek O’Brien missed mentioning that the TMC government moved to arrest Shahjahan only after repeated reprimands from the High Court and widespread media coverage highlighting the Mamata government’s incompetence in the case.
Derek further added that BJP people are not drinking water in their headquarters in Delhi because “they want to keep this issue alive till Mr Modi arrives here but that could not be possible”.”If you had said that we have legal obstructions to arrest the culprit then why didn’t ED arrest him? People in Northern India don’t know so we have to clarify who has arrested the culprit. The Central agencies or the West Bengal police. The police don’t have the power to arrest in ED PMLA case, only the ED can do so. The culprit has been arrested in cases registered to West Bengal Police,” TMC MP said.
“The court gave freedom to the police, it took two days. Our challenge to Mr Modi is that I want to give two numbers 2219 and 2250. 2219 refers to the number of days Nirav Modi has been absconding and Mehul Choksi has been absconding for 2250 days. You have not brought these people to book in these days,” he added.
Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Basirhat Court remanded Trinamool Congress (TMC) Sheikh Shahjahan to 10-day police custody on Thursday.
Lawyer Raja Bhowmick, who represented Shahjahan in court, said, “14-day police custody (of Sheikh Shahjahan) was demanded, but the court allowed 10-day custody.””On March 10, he will be produced in court again,” he said.
Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning in connection with the assault on ED officers during a raid in January earlier this year.West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called Shahjahan’s arrest an ‘eye-opener’, adding that it is only the ‘beginning’.”Today in Bengal, we see the beginning of an end.
The arrest of the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents is an eye-opener for everyone. This is only the beginning. We have to put an end to violence in Bengal,” Ananda Bose said.
Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district had been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader.A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of “land-grab and sexual assault” under coercion.
Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, who filed a PIL in the Supreme Court and sought an independent probe in the Sandeshkhali incident, said on Thursday that it was surprising that after court allowed the CBI and ED to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, within a few hours he was arrested by the West Bengal police.
“We all know that Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested today but his body language showed that it is a clear case of him being sheltered and that is why we are now going to request Calcutta High Court to order an independent investigation into the case. The victims of Sandeshkhali will only get justice if the entire case is investigated by independent agencies. Yesterday, CBI made the serious request before the Calcutta High Court and said that they have of serious apprehension that if West Bengal police arrest Sheikh Shahjhana then the entire case will be diluted and there can be a collision between the state police and the accused. After which, the court allowed CBI and ED to arrest him,” he said.
“It is very surprising that after a few hours of this, the accused was arrested by the police. In the last 55 days, he was not arrested,” he added.
Further, he said that the Supreme Court has advised him to go to Calcutta High Court with his PIL.
On the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan, BJP leader Priyanka Tibrewal said, “This is all scripted, orchestrated, and it was done on terms and conditions placed by Shahjahan because, you see, this is not an arrest. This is the way that they have asked him to surrender, basically. The way he was walking just look at his body language, you can very well understand. In the last 55 days, the police were unable to catch this guy and then in two days, as I had said earlier when I filed my petition that in 48 hours he would be arrested. And that is exactly what has happened.”
After the arrest of absconding TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who was on the run for 55 days, West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the TMC has never taken any step to shield any offender.West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “We have always said that we never take any step to shield any offender. He has been arrested because he is an accused. Sheikh Shahjahan has also been suspended from the party for 6 years.”
Taking a dig at the TMC government and West Bengal Police over the arrest of absconding strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan, and, his 10-day remand, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Thursday said he has been put under the ‘mehman-nawazi’ (hospitality) of the state police in a bid to avoid arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the CBI.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan accepted the mistake on Thursday after the Tamil Nadu government was left red-faced after an advertisement for a new Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that featured a rocket with the flag of China.
Radhakrishnan said that a small mistake was made in the newspaper advertisement by them.
“A small mistake has been made in the newspaper advertisement given by us regarding the setting up of a rocket launch pad in the Kulasekarapatnam area. The image of the Chinese flag in the advertisement welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a mistake by those who designed the advertisement, which went unnoticed by us,” said the DMK leader.
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party for using the ‘China flag’ in rocket advertisement promoting the proposed second launch pad of ISRO in the state.
Annamalai alleged that DMK has been ‘desperate’ to paste stickers since the announcement of the second launch pad coming up in the state was made.
“This advertisement by DMK Minister Anita Radhakrishnan to leading Tamil dailies today is a manifestation of DMK’s commitment to China and their total disregard for our country’s sovereignty. DMK, a party fighting high on corruption, has been desperate to paste stickers ever since the announcement of ISRO’s second launch pad in Kulasekarapatinam was released,” Annamalai said in a post on X.
Earlier, the BJP Tamil Nadu chief further accused the DMK of being the reason Tamil Nadu lost Satish Dhawan Space Centre to Andhra Pradesh.
“The amount of desperation only proves their attempt to bury their past misdeeds, but we must remind them that DMK was why the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is today in Andhra Pradesh and not Tamil Nadu,” Annamalai said.
“When the first launch pad of ISRO was conceptualised, TN was the first choice of ISRO. TN CM Annadurai, who could not attend the meeting because of severe shoulder pain, deputed Mathiyazhagan, one of his ministers, for the meeting,” the post further mentioned.
“ISRO officials were kept waiting for a long time, and Mathiyazhagan was finally brought to the meeting in an “inebriated state” and was incoherent throughout the meeting. And this was the treatment our country’s space programme received 60 years ago. DMK hasn’t changed much and has only become worse!,” he added.
The controversy erupted following a newspaper advertisement by the DMK government promoting the laying of the foundation stone for ISRO’s second launch pad complex in Kulsekarapatinam, which showcased a ‘China flag’ among rockets from other countries in the background.
Meanwhile, #Thankyoukanimozhi was trending on the micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday, lauding DMK MP from Thoothukudi, Kanimozhi, for her efforts towards bringing ISRO’s second launch pad to Kulasekarapatinam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier in the day, also criticised the DMK government over the newspaper advertisement while he was addressing a gathering in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli.
“DMK is a party that does not work but stands ahead to take false credit. These people paste their stickers on our schemes. Now they have crossed the limits, they have pasted China’s sticker to take credit for the ISRO launch pad in Tamil Nadu,” PM Modi said while addressing a gathering in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu.
The Prime Minister alleged that the DMK is ‘not ready’ to accept India’s progress in the space sector.
“They are not ready to accept India’s progress in the space sector and with the taxes that you pay, they give advertisements and do not even include a picture of India’s space in it. They did not want to present India’s space success in front of the world, they insulted our scientists, our space sector, and your tax money. Now it’s high time that the DMK is punished for their deeds,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister was on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, during which he launched multiple development projects in the state.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) CEC (Central Election Committee) Meeting regarding the Lok Sabha elections at the party headquarters in Delhi comprised discussions on the seats of Lok Sabha across about 17 states and set seals on more than 155 seats, the list of which will be released in a day or two.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP’s National President JP Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Organisation General Secretary BL Santosh, Chief Ministers, State Presidents, In-charges, Co-Incharges, and Election In-charges of various states were present in this meeting.
The Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Assam, Uttarakhand, and Goa were also present at the meeting.
Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP leader Prahlad Patel, and BJP’s State President VD Sharma were also present in the meeting, where discussions were held regarding the names of candidates for all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh.
Sources indicated that the announcement of the names of 4-5 candidates from Telangana could be made soon.
Three current MPs G Kishan Reddy, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, and Arvind Dharmapuri may also get tickets again.
Discussions were held with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the names of candidates in the meeting.
Discussions were also held on the names of candidates with BJP leaders from Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.
BJP sources said that the names of candidates from Assam were discussed in the meeting, in which all Lok Sabha seats were filled with leaders from Assam.
BJP will contest on eleven seats there, and Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal could contest from Dibrugarh, while State Minister Rameshwar Teli could be sent to the Rajya Sabha.
Discussions were also conducted on candidates for the seats in Jammu, while deliberations for Kashmir will take place in the next meeting.
Additionally, discussions were held on two to three seats in Delhi, but another round of meetings will happen. Candidates have been finalised for one seat in Goa, while one seat is yet to be decided.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a slogan of ‘Crossing 400’ in this year’s Lok Sabha elections. The BJP aims to win more than 370 seats on its own. (ANI)
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently advised all the states and the Union Territories (UTs) against the practice of “segregating prisoners and assigning tasks based on their caste”, urging them to remove such “discriminatory” provisions from their manuals or legislation and to halt the allocation of work in prisons based on caste.
The direction was circulated through an advisory on February 26. The advisory was sent to the Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General/Inspector General of Prisons in all states and UTs.
“It has been the constant endeavor of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to reach out to the Prison authorities of all States and Union Territories and provide them assistance in the form of financial aid for technology-driven projects as well as sharing contemporary best practices and guidelines on varied aspects of efficient prison administration from time to time,” mentions the advisory.
The advisory further pointed out that “it has come to the notice of this Ministry that the jail manuals of some states provide for segregation of prisoners on the basis of their caste and religion and they are being assigned duties in the prisons accordingly.”
The advisory clearly stressed that the Constitution of India prohibits any kind of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth.
Noting that the Model Prison Manual, 2016, prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016, explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination against prisoners in the management of the kitchen or cooking of food on a caste or religious basis.
The Ministry further noted, “the manual also provides that any special treatment to a group of prisoners belonging to a particular caste or religion is strictly prohibited”.
The MHA made it clear that “no classification of prisoners shall be allowed on grounds of socio-economic status, caste or class.”
Subsequently, the MHA urged that “states and UTs are requested to take note of the above and ensure that their state prison manual/ prison act should not contain such discriminatory provisions.”
“In case any such provision exists, immediate steps must be taken to amend and remove the discriminatory provision from the manual or Act.”
It is reiterated in the advisory that there should be “no caste-based assignment of duties or work in the prisons.”
The advisory further highlighted that the medical care of prisoners is one of the significant concerns of prison management, pointing out that the MHA has been advising the states and the UTs from time to time to ensure that due importance is given to the physical and mental well-being of prisoners.
“To maintain uniformity in the process of medical check-ups of prisoners, the Model Prison Manual 2016 provides for the procedure to be followed by the states and UTs. There is a dedicated chapter on ‘Medical Care’ in the Model Prison Manual, 2016, which may be carefully perused for guidance by the states and UTs.
In particular, the advisory reads, that states and UTs are requested to ensure periodic health check-ups of prisoners should be conducted on a regular basis, an annual health check-up of prisoners should be conducted, periodic health check-ups of aged prisoners and inmates with disabilities should be conducted, and health check-ups or screenings of prisoners for infectious diseases, including STDs, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, should be done on a periodic basis.
Besides, the advisory suggested that special health checkups of women prisoners and transgender prisoners should be conducted, and periodic checkups or screenings of inmates for their mental well-being should be conducted.
The advisory asked to make these health checks updated on the e-Prisons portal on a regular basis.
The MHA further stated that it has implemented the e-prisons project with the objective of creating end-to-end IT solutions for the automation of prison operations, including digitization and availability of prisoner records at an electronic platform accessible to designated authorities, enabling them to have direct access to information related to the prisoners.
In this regard, the MHA requested all state and UT prison authorities to update the database of the prisoners on the e-prisons platform on a regular basis and also ensure that the information is entered in all columns and no field is left blank.
“For this, the relevant information can be obtained from the prisoners’ records and also from inmates and entered into the system. The e-prisons portal is designed to significantly contribute towards the objective of efficient prison management and therefore state and UT prison authorities are requested to pay serious attention to the regular updation of entries in the e-prisons portal,” added the advisory.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
When Annamalai on 17th March 2023 told the Tamil Nadu BJP at a state party meeting that he would quit should the party leadership partner with AIADMK, his message was that he was not in it for the compromise.
With this, Tamil Nadu BJP’s firebrand President, K Annamalai infused a new confidence in the BJP to go it alone. Of course, he had to prove himself and prove he did.
On 27th February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only endorsed Annamalai in his speech during his visit to Tamil Nadu to mark the closing ceremony of the ‘En Mann Ek Makkal’ padayatra in Tiruppur but also gave the former IPS officer a pat on the back.
Compilation of our journey in the last six months covering 234 assembly constituencies in TN during our En Mann En Makkal PadaYatra.
The display of love & affection for our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi avl throughout the journey was unparalleled.
This public gesture from PM Modi towards K Annamalai has put a stamp on the latter’s plans for the BJP in the southernmost Indian state.
PM Modi pats Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai on the back (source: En Mann En Makkal/X)
K Annamalai – an MBA, an IPS officer, and a politician
Annamalai Kuppusamy was born on 4th June 1984 in the Thottampatti village near Chinnadharapuram in Karur district into the Gounder community. He belongs to the OBC community and hails from an agricultural background; just the face that the BJP needed for a long time.
Annamalai hails from a family of farmers (source: En Mann En Makkal/X)
An engineering graduate and a post-graduate in management, Annamalai went on to complete his MBA in Finance from IIM Lucknow.
At one point he had aspired to be an entrepreneur but gave up that dream to pursue the bigger cause of connecting with the people.
Adding another feather to his cap, Annamalai cleared UPSC to become an IPS officer. He was appointed to the Karnataka cadre and began his service as superintendent of police in Chikkamagaluru and Udupi.
K Annamalai during his tenure as
He was serving as deputy commissioner of police of Bengaluru (south) when he quit the service in September 2019.
His tenure as an IPS officer in Karnataka earned him the moniker “Singham Anna” or “the Singham of Karnataka” owing to his fearless and honest style of work.
He became known amongst the people for his no-nonsense and tough cop attitude, videos of which continue to make rounds on social media platforms. Annamalai was vocal about his fight against corruption and mentioned related incidents in his book “Stepping Beyond Khaki: Revelations of a Real-life Singham”.
Moved by the death of his colleague Madhukar Shetty, a 1999 batch IPS officer from Karnataka, Annamalai in 2018 took a trip to Kailash Mansarovar which he termed as an “eye opener as it helped me to see my priorities in life better”. In 2019, he quit the force.
On 25th August 2020, Annamalai Kuppusamy joined the BJP at party headquarters in the national capital. 3 days later, he was appointed the Karnataka BJP Vice President.
He reportedly grew closer to senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Minister CT Ravi during his tenure in Chikkamagaluru. As per reports, Annamalai was close to RSS bigwigs in Bengaluru south, when he was the DCP.
Karnataka’s ‘Singham’
Annamalai was first posted as the Assistant Superintendent of Police in Karkala sub-division of Udupi district in 2013 and later promoted to SP there in 2015.
He became known for cracking down on criminal activities in the coastal district. He was eventually named ‘Singham’ after news of him pulling up errant bike riders spread in the district.
Annamalai frequently interacted with students. In Manipal, an academic hub which receives students from across the country, he implemented rules to restrict nightlife like shutting down bars and restaurants at 11.30 pm sharp. When found loitering around after midnight, the students were identified and told to explain themselves.
Moreover, Annamalai is credited with smoothly handling a tense situation between Hindus and Muslims over Baba Budangiri in 2017 when some tombs of the holy place were reportedly targeted. Annamalai is also known for cracking down on gambling dens in the district.
Studied Islam to fight terror
In his conversation with a website, Annamalai briefly spoke about his study of Islam when he was serving in Udupi.
Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada is a hotbed of Islamist radicalisation and is reportedly the birthplace of Indian Mujahideen.
Annamalai studied the Islamic texts to “understand what led to the misinterpretation of religious texts and caused widespread radicalisation”.
He said that he studied the Quran and Hadith with the help of the religious scholars and tried to understand the philosophy.
“It helped me understand the psyche behind terror organisations like the Indian Mujahideen, SIMI and ISIS that had spread its tentacles around the Bhatkal-Kundapura region,” he said.
Resolved to promote BJP’s nationalism to make a dent in Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian politics
His academic and career trajectory will tell you that Annamalai is planning every step that he takes, even the timing of when to and when not to announce those steps.
In 2020, during an interactive session on Facebook, he said, “I am planning to enter Tamil Nadu politics soon, maybe in another two-three months. And I am planning to contest the 2021 assembly elections which will be held in April-May. I want to bring some positive changes to the system.”
Not only did he become the youngest Tamil Nadu BJP President upon his appointment in August 2020 but he is also perhaps the only politician who has made it this big in Tamil Nadu without a film background.
Moreover, his OBC and farmer background, connection with the people, leadership thinking and clear vision for the party filled the strategic void for the BJP in Tamil Nadu.
What makes Annamalai different from the rest including those within the BJP itself is his very specific vision for his state even if it meant challenging certain voices within his own party at times.
Annamalai is an outspoken follower of PM Modi. He used that image to his advantage when he voiced his dissent against allying with AIADMK for the 2024 elections.
Such a direct challenge only earned him more recognition and support from the BJP leadership. In March 2023, Annamalai reportedly said that he wanted to be aggressive like J Jayalalithaa and Kalaignar Karunanidhi.
“In the history of Tamil Nadu, no one has been criticised like me but let them continue doing that. I will not change myself; even if there are directions from Delhi, I will be myself,” he said rather boldly.
In 2021, about a year after joining the BJP, the Tamil Nadu BJP Chief led the hunger strike starting 5th August against the BJP-led Karnataka government’s decision to proceed with the Mekedatu dam project on the Cauvery, which was proposed by the previous Congress government.
“The protest is not against anybody, not against any person, not against any state and not against any community. It is against the decision of the state government. That’s the whole thing. At the same time, we are also conscious of the fact that Kanadiggas live in Tamilnadu, and Tamilians live in Karnataka. So both states have a history of extending our peacefulness,” he said.
Annamalai made it known in 2023 that he is not one to succumb to threats. Speaking on Gayathri Raguramm’s resignation from the party last year, he said he has no regrets about those leaving the organisation and wished such people well.
This came after in 2022, Annamalai said that disciplinary action against the party members who are at fault will continue. This was following the BJP state unit barring Suriya Siva, the general secretary of OBC Morcha from attending party-related events after a purported audio clip of him issuing death threats and hurling sexist slurs went viral.
A proponent of Sanatan Dharma and a challenge for Dravidian politics
Annamalai’s speeches and statements have touched the very foundations of ideologies in Tamil Nadu. He has reshaped perspectives of the last man standing by explaining just how Hinduism is central to the identity of Tamil Nadu and vice versa.
He is doing this parallelly as he also challenges the missionary-driven divisive politics of the DMK.
Image from the padyatra (source: En Mann En Makkal/X)
In October 2022, in response to a controversy around the religious identity of King Rajaraja I, he said that Hinduism had existed for millennia.
He time and again called out several DMK leaders for their anti-Hindu remarks and statements insulting Hindu deities, particularly when DMK minister and CM’s son Udayanidhi Stalin called for the “eradication of Sanatan Dharma”.
Late last year, the Tamil Nadu BJP President irked Dravidian leaders saying that when BJP comes to power in the state, all statues of Periyar will be removed from near educational institutions and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) will be abolished.
The break-up with AIADMK
In 2021, the BJP managed to secure a vote share of a mere 2.6 per cent having contested the assembly elections in alliance with the AIADMK. Although it did win 4 out of the 20 seats on which it contested.
Annamalai who fought from Aravakurichi seat lost to DMK’s Elango R. He secured a vote share of 38.71 per cent with 68,553 votes, falling short of 24, 816 votes.
Thereafter, Annamalai’s intentions for the saffron party were sealed. In 2022 he announced that the party would go it alone in the local body elections.
This announcement came while the parties were still in alliance. This move was also aimed at expanding as well as reinvigorating the party base at the grassroots. Notably, the party made significant inroads in these elections.
Speaking to ANI, the former IPS officer was of the view that it was time for booth-level workers of the BJP to get their fair share of opportunity in the state.
He said, “It is difficult to maintain coalition dharma right up to the booth level. After the local body polls in nine districts, we need more seats in order to accommodate our cadre and local leaders and give them opportunities. The AIADMK has honoured our request to provide more seats for the upcoming polls, but we need to accommodate our booth-level leaders. So, we have decided to contest alone the civic elections in the state.”
Albeit far behind the DMK and AIADMK respectively, the BJP secured a third number in these polls, which is a positive sign for a party that had failed to gain any foothold in the state.
Moreover, Annamalai maintained an aggressive pitch against the AIADMK. He did not shy away from levelling charges of corruption against the BJP ally.
Annamalai also took account of the AIADMK when countering DMK’s Udayanidhi Stalin over the latter “eradicate Sanatan Dharma” remark. He alleged that Dravidian leader CN Annadurai had insulted Hinduism and apologised for the same to Forward Bloc leader late U Muthuramalinga.
Shortly after, the AIADMK called it quits paving the way for the BJP to set sail.
DMK Files – How Annamalai challenged the ruling Dravidian party head-on
Under Annamalai’s leadership, the Tamil Nadu BJP launched a series of operations to expose rampant corruption by the Stalin-led DMK government.
Audio clips were released of Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Mr PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Niru Sabareesan exposing their illicit earnings of Rs 30,000 crores in a year.
The BJP also targeted the DMK government for passing off the Coimbatore blast as a mere cylinder explosion.
According to the BJP leader’s calculations and estimates, the DMK leaders’ assets were “worth Rs 1.34 lakh crore”. Annamalai further intimated that the AIADMK too will not be spared in his corruption discovery.
This was followed by DMK Files 2, wherein he targeted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and accused the CM of looting crores of money, allegedly to the tune of Rs 1,30,000 crores from the people.
In DMK Files 3, Annamalai claimed that the ruling party in the state, DMK and its alliance partner, Congress purportedly collaborated to strategically decide the timing of CBI raids about the probe in 2G scam.
‘En Mann En Makkal’ padyatra
Annamalai is known for his fierce campaigning. Under his leadership, the BJP has been in the headlines in Tamil Nadu year on year.
But nothing proved his mettle as well as the ‘En Mann En Makkal‘ padyatra – a brainchild of the Tamil Nadu BJP President. It saw women, children, elderly and people across castes and communities in Tamil Nadu come out on the streets in support for the firebrand leader.
100th day of En Mann En Makkal padyatra (source: En Mann En Makkal/X)
The march was launched from Rameshwaram on 28th July 2023 and concluded on 27th February 2024 in Palladam covering 234 assembly constituencies in the state.
Huge crowds accompanying the BJP leader and every town and city welcoming him with much fanfare was a testimony to the BJP’s presence being felt in the state.
On the concluding day of the yatra, Prime Minister Modi said that Annamalai had earned the confidence of the people of Tamil Nadu. A video from the event went viral where the Prime Minister was seen patting the back of Annamalai with a wide smile in what was a huge sign of endorsement and appreciation for the latter.
Projections for the BJP in Tamil Nadu so far
If projections for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are anything to go by, then the BJP under Annamalai’s leadership is set to do damage primarily to the AIADMK.
According to ChanakyaaTV, the BJP-led alliance could secure a vote share of 22 per cent whereas Times Now – ETG Research Survey has predicted a 14 per cent vote share for the saffron party in Tamil Nadu.
The India Today – C Voter survey has projected a vote share of 15 per cent for BJP-led NDA in the state.
Moreover, pollster Prashant Kishor had recently stated that the vote share of the BJP could go into double digits in the southern state – between 7 to 15 per cent.
In 2014, the BJP’s vote share was 5.5 per cent; it did not have an alliance with the AIADMK. In 2019, the BJP secured a vote share of 3.66 per cent.
The vote share projections in comparison to the BJP’s past performance show significant progress for the party.
Slow and steady wins the race
Notably, Annamalai had said that for the BJP to grow in Tamil Nadu, it needs to fight alone even if that takes time. Recently, before PM Modi’s visit, the Tamil Nadu BJP Chief said that more and more leaders of Tamil Nadu will be joining the BJP. “BJP is a growing party, BJP is an alternative party,” he told ANI.
DRDO conducted two successful flight tests of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile on 28th & 29th Feb 2024 from a ground-based portable launcher off the coast of Odisha from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur. These missiles are designed to intercept and destroy hostile aircraft, drones and helicopters at very short ranges.
The tests were carried out against high speed unmanned aerial targets under different interception scenarios. During all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles, meeting the mission objectives, a statement by defence ministry said. The flight test was witnessed by officials of the Indian Army, senior Scientists from various DRDO laboratories and Industry Partners.
VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners. The missiles have a range of upto 6 km.
VSHORADAS missile incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics which have been successfully proven during the tests. The missile is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor and meant for neutralizing low altitude aerial threats at short ranges. The design of the missile including launcher has been highly optimized to ensure easy portability.
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, congratulated DRDO, Indian Army and Industry involved in the successful development trials and stated this new missile equipped with modern technologies will give further technological boost to the Armed Forces.
Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO congratulated the entire team involved in the design and development of the missile.
On Thursday, February 29, the News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority directed Hindi news channel AajTak to delete a video of a show anchored by its news anchor Sudhir Chaudhary on the violence that had swept different parts of the country on March 30 last year on the occasion of Ram Navami. In a letter sent to the media house, NBSA claimed that Sudhir Chaudhary, in his show, had targeted a particular community by generalising the acts of violence carried out by a few miscreants.
News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority directs @aajtak channel to remove the video of a show anchored by @sudhirchaudhary on Ram Navami violence as the anchor generalised the acts of certain miscreants to target a particular community. pic.twitter.com/Bb9YklHRSi
Claiming that the anchor gave a completely different colour and used the incidents of communal violence to target a particular community, NBSA warned the channel to be careful in future. The notice was sent to the media channel based on a complaint filed by an X user Indrajeet Ghorpade (@jeetxg).
Based on a few statements the anchor made during the show, the NBSA claimed that the anchor gave the programme a “completely different colour.”
It warned the media organisation to exercise caution while airing content in the future and instructed them to take down the aforementioned video from their website if it was still accessible and to confirm the same to NBSA within the following seven days.
It is pertinent to note that the attack on Ram Navami procession was purely an act of aggression by the Muslim community against the Hindu community based on religious intolerance and hate. The local Muslims often claim that Hindu processions crossing a so-called Muslim area, essentially an area where Muslims live in larger numbers, is an act of aggression in itself. The media channels have been penalised for pointing out the obvious phenomenon of religious hate and intolerance by the Muslim community against Hindu processions and faith. If the reverse were to be true and Muslims were attacked for crossing through an area where Hindus lived in a majority, the act would certainly not be seen as the action of a few miscreants but an example of religious intolerance towards a particular community and their faith.
The argument used to justify violence against Ram Navami is precisely the argument used to tear India into two nations based on religious hate and intolerance. The Muslim community and their leaders had claimed that Islam is a nation and culture unto itself and it could not co-exist with Hindus, therefore, they wanted their own country where Islam would be the ruling religion. By penalising the media channels pointing out the obvious intolerance displayed when demography favours the Muslim community is essentially a legitimisation of the two-nation theory used to justify violence against Hindus.
Commenting on how Islamists, leftist-liberals, and several opposition leaders accused Hindus of passing through “Muslim areas” during the Ram Navami procession, Sudhir Chaudhary questioned why certain areas are classified as ‘Muslim areas’ when we don’t classify other regions as Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian or Parsi areas. He presented the 2011 demographic census and pointed out that 81% of the Indian population are Hindu and only 14% are Muslims. He inquired, “Why are some places designated as ‘Muslim areas’ when no Sikh, Christian, Hindu, Parsi, or Jain declares any given place to be theirs and forbids members of other communities from carrying out their religious ceremonies there?”
He also called out Mamata Banerjee for blaming the Hindus for the attack on the procession of Lord Ram, whom he said is revered not only in India but across as many as 12 countries around the globe.
After Ram Navami violence Mamata Banerjee resorted to dog-whistling, alleges Hindus deliberately entered Muslim areas with guns and bombs
Hours after Islamists ran riots against Hindus celebrating Ram Navami in Howrah, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attempted to blame the violence on ‘outsiders.’
“You bring goons-on-hire from outside of Bengal, carry out arson, and orchestrate riots here…We have never stopped you from conducting rallies… Who permitted you to hold rallies with swords and bulldozers?” she said during a protest rally against the Union government.
“I heard that today they used bulldozers in Howrah…What is this audacity? We will give a befitting reply…Why did you change the route (of the Ram Navami procession)? You chose an unauthorised route to provoke a community,” Mamata Banerjee said.
Her appeasement politics did not stop at this. On April 3, she made a heartfelt appeal to the youth of Purba Medinipur to come forward and fight off rioters in the State.
During her speech, the West Bengal Chief Minister slammed the Hindu devotees, who participated in the Ram Navami procession, for supposedly carrying deadly weapons.
Mamata Banerjee alleged that Hindus took out Ram Navami processions without permission, and asked why there should be processing for five days. ‘Don’t carry guns in procession, don’t carry bombs in the processions’, she said, alleging that guns and bombs were carried by Hindu devotees.
Seven incidents of attacks on Ram Navami from across the country
Violence swept different parts of the country on Thursday, March 30, on the occasion of Ram Navami, as Islamic supremacists provoked and attacked Lord Ram devotees in the Shobha Yatras, many of which were organised for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions came into force in 2020.
From Vadodara in Gujarat to Howrah in West Bengal, from Mumbai to Sambhaji Nagar, cities and towns across the length and breadth of the country were smouldering with the fire of religious zealotry as Islamists attacked Ram Navami processions while they were traversing through Muslim-majority regions or as the ‘liberals’ call them ‘Muslim areas’.
The Ram Navami procession near Panjrigar mohalla in the Vadodara district of Gujarat was attacked by Islamists who pelted stones at the procession. According to the reports, around 200-500 Muslims arrived on the street during the procession and began pelting stones at the procession and the Hindu participants. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)’s local office bearer Vishnubhai Prajapati stated that some vehicles including big cars were also damaged.
Howrah, the twin city of Kolkata witnessed a similar spate of violent attacks on the occasion of Ram Navami as stones were pelted on the procession from the terraces of the buildings in the Shibpur neighbourhood.
Vehicles and shops were also torched during the violence. Videos from the place show several vehicles on fire on the road, while many other vehicles were lying overturned. The damaged vehicles include a police vehicle. The neighbourhood where the violence was reported is dominated by Muslims.
Similar violence was reported from Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Ram Navami. Violent clashes broke between two groups at the Kiradpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, videos of which had emerged showing that the decorations outside Ram Mandir in the area were attacked by a violent mob on the previous night.
Several injuries were reported after a Ram Navami procession in the Malvai region of Mumbai’s Malad suburb was attacked by an Islamist mob as it passed by a Masjid near gate no. 7 area. The Islamists attacked the procession by pelting stones and also forced the loudspeakers to be shut in the area.
Also in the Paldhi region in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, a fight broke out between two groups when DJ music was played as a religious procession passed by a mosque in Paldhi. The police had made 45 arrests and registered two FIRs in the case.
Such attacks, especially when the procession passes through Muslim-majority regions, have become alarmingly common in the last few years, especially on the occasions of Hindu festivities, in particular, Ram Navami, the birth anniversary of Lord Rama.
According to police sources, Sheikh Shahjahan of the Trinamool Congress, who was apprehended on 29th February, admitted to encouraging a crowd to attack an Enforcement Directorate team last month, the police said in the plea seeking his remand, reported Telegraph. After being at large for 55 days, Shahjahan was eventually arrested by the authorities in Minakhan, North 24 Parganas district and during interrogation, the 53-year-old acknowledged that he was involved in the 5th January attack on the officials of the national agency who were searching his property as part of a ration scam investigation at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas.
“Shahjahan was arrested late on Wednesday night from Bamanpukur area at Minakhan in North 24 Parganas. He was arrested in connection with the case related to the attack on ED officials on January 5. He was one of the principal accused in the case. Several other cases have been lodged against him after protests broke out in Sandeshkhali earlier this month. Those are being investigated,” Supratim Sarkar, Additional Director General (ADG) South Bengal informed the media.
The police made several disclosures in the remand plea. As per it, Shahjahan is the mastermind of the attack on ED team, adding that he not only obstructed the ED officials on duty but also “assaulted (them) mercilessly using his influence, men, and muscle power as well robbed their official articles.”
It states that “the reputation of the accused is very bad and there is every possibility of his absconding violating the order of the learned court and hampering the evidences as well as the process of investigation.”
The police said that during the interrogation after he was arrested by sub-inspector Pratap Sarkar of Nazat police station, he “confessed” his “guilt” and “involvement in the instant case.” Justifying the demand for police remand, the police said that Shahjahan’s help would be required to identify the other “large number of miscreants” involved in the case. The plea said, “the accused Shahjahan Sheikh is the only means who can provide the details of those involved absconding accused persons.”
Shahjahan was produced in a municipal court in Basirhat at around 10:30 and was remanded to police custody for 10 days. The development transpired following a ruling by the Calcutta High Court that Sheikh Shahjahan “should be detained” and the action could be carried out by the state police, the Central Bureau of Investigation or the Enforcement Directorate. Additionally, the police had been given a 72-hour window by West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose to capture him.
Over a month has passed since many women accused Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates of sexual assault and land grabbing at Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
He has been charged with under sections 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (guilty of rioting being armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant) and 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the police, in the last few weeks alone, over 100 complaints have been submitted against Sheikh Shahjahan. These complaints have led to the filing of several cases against him and his companions, including 376D (gang rape). Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, two of his close aides, had previously been taken into custody on similar allegations.
Meanwhile, the investigation of the cases filed against Sheikh Shajahan was taken over by the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) department.
In a shocking occurrence from Kerala, a 20-year-old student, JS Sidharth a native of Nedumangad, Thiruvananthapuram committed suicide on 18th February in Wayanad. He was reportedly subjected to severe physical and verbal abuse by the left-wing student leaders who also provoked him to end his life. He was likewise paraded naked by them. Six pupils affiliated with the Student Federation of India (SFI) were apprehended on 28th February by police after interrogation. The father of the deceased, Jayaprakash also charged the student leaders of the SFI with murder.
The accused have been identified as Billgate Joshua (23) from Sultan Bathery, Abhishek S (23) from Idukki, Dons Daayi (23) from Thodupuzha, Akash SD (22), Rahan Binoy (20) and Sreehari RD (23) from Thiruvananthapuram. A case was previously launched against K. Arun, N. Asif Khan, SFI Unit Secretary Amal Ihsan, K. Akhil, R.S. In addition, an official complaint was also brought against Kashinathan, Amin Akbar Ali, Sinjo Johnson, J Ajay, EK Saud Rizal, A Altaf, V Adityan and M Muhammad Danish.
According to information, on 18th January, JS Sidharth, a second-year student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Pookode, Wayanad took his own life. The body was found hanging in a toilet of the college hostel in the afternoon. His post-mortem report carried many revelations including that he suffered a severe beating before death. Furthermore, his stomach was empty and there were wounds on his body. He sustained head, jaw and back injuries.
Afterwards, the police registered a case of unnatural death in this case. Twelve students comprising left-wing student leaders were also suspended from the college after its anti-ragging committee found the victim was brutally beaten up by fellow students days before his death. The arrested individuals are not among the suspended students who are evading capture. According to Sidharth’s father, left-wing students regularly tortured his son. The suspended SFI leaders and members include the college union president, a union member, and the SFI unit secretary.
He charged, “On February 14, Sidharth danced with senior students during a Valentine’s Day function, for which he was beaten up in front of around 100 students. Sidharth’s friends told us that the college union secretary and his gang threatened to kill them if they revealed the assault,” and slammed the Vythiri police for prolonging to take action against the offenders.
He mentioned that on 14th February, Valentine’s Day, Sidharth had danced with a girl. This infuriated the accused. The victim was supposed to return home the next day. However, he was summoned to the hostel by the SFI student leaders who then began tormenting him. He endured three days of relentless misery. Food and drink were off-limits to him. A rod was used to batter him. He was humiliated and led around the hostel in a naked state. The news of Sidharth’s suicide followed after the horrifying developments.
According to the victim’s family members, he had purchased a train ticket on 15th February, but he had to cancel the trip after receiving a call from a friend after which he became unusually quiet and depressed.
Sidharth’s father disclosed that the former called two hours before the news of his death. He stressed that his son didn’t commit suicide but was killed and hanged there. According to him, no action has been taken in the matter since the culprits are connected to organisations that support the ruling left parties. K. Akhil, one of the primary offenders was nabbed on 29th February from Palakkad. Kerala’s opposition parties have also charged that the administration is being indifferent to the issue. It is alleged that a fight about Valentine’s Day celebrations at the campus led to Siddharth being exposed to vicious violence and a mob trial.
The suspects allegedly attended college till 24th February but the police had no interest in apprehending them. Six students were ultimately apprehended after the authorities were charged with negligence. Leading the probe, Sajeev claimed that following receipt of the anti-ragging committee’s report, police had charged the students both apprehended and absconded under the Prohibition of Ragging Act and abetment of suicide (IPC Section 306).
He noted, “The accused include senior students and Sidharth’s batchmates. The police took eight students into custody and recorded the arrest of six. They are not among the suspended students.”
