A day after an ugly spat on Twitter with Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, BJP State president K. Annamalai on Thursday said he was not Jesus Christ and would slap back if he was slapped.
On Wednesday, Mr. Thiaga Rajan, without naming Mr. Annamalai, insinuated in a tweet that the latter was seeking publicity and engineered “slipper-throwing” at a car, bearing the national flag, and was a vile being and curse to Tamil society. The Minister was ostensibly referring to the BJP cadre stopping his official convoy recently in Madurai and hurling a slipper. Mr. Annamalai responded with a series of tweets assailing the Minister and said, “Finally, You are not worthy enough for my Chappals.” The BJP leader said, at a press conference, said: “I am not Jesus Christ to turn the other cheek, if slapped on one. I will slap back. If it is aggression, I will be doubly aggressive. I am not going to be worried if I lose anything because of this.”
If the DMK was being respectful, he would be doubly respectful, he said, adding: “If they take personal potshots, my response to PTR is not wrong at all.”. He further said that if he had to speak in a dignified manner to keep his post in the BJP, he did not need the post.
“As for this issue, the DMK should come out of its old style of politics. This boy has come from a village, ordinary boy. [DMK is thinking] We [DMK government] have the power. He can be threatened. If it threatens, my reply would be like this,” he said and sought to know how many first generation graduates in the DMK, had risen [to leadership positions].
To a query, Mr. Annamalai said it was then Chief Minister and DMK founder C.N. Annadurai who decided to allow a public holiday for Vinayakar Chaturthi, while the DMK now was not extending wishes on Vinayakar Chaturthi anymore.
Earlier the BJP observed the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Pulithevar at the party office.
