K Annamalai, the new president of the Tamil Nadu BJP who assumed office on Friday had a stormy first day in office as he had to issue a clarification about a statement he had made on Thursday enroute to Chennai from Coimbatore.
Annamalai, who quit the Indian Police Service to join the BJP, said at the party headquarters in Chennai that he was obviously misquoted by a section of the media which reported that he had said that the media would be brought under control within six months.
“While responding to party activists’ complaint that the on-line media was spreading lies about the BJP, I told them that once the Over The Top platform Bill comes into being, there will be accountability and the on line media too would become accountable. There was no mention about controlling the media,” said Annamalai. He also asked the media not to make a mountain out of a molehill while reporting about the moves to form a separate Kongu Nadu incorporating the south western districts of Tamil Nadu.
“The BJP has not discussed about this demand. It is an issue which has not come up for any kind of discussion in the party. So the question of a separate Kongu Nadu demand does not arise,” said Annamalai.
The failure of the DMK to make any inroads into South West region of Tamil Nadu, known more popularly as Kongu Nadu had given rise to speculations about the carving out of seven or eight districts to form a Union Territory. The fact that former Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy and his close associates in the AIADMK and many BJP leaders hail from the region made the grapevine work full steam and a controversy has arisen over the issue.
There is already a demand from Dr S Ramadoss, the founder of Pattali Makkal Katchi that Tamil Nadu should be trifurcated into three small States for administrative convenience. There are 38 districts in the State which have distinct geographical and topographical features. It would be easy to administer smaller States than a major State,” a close associate of Dr Ramadoss had told The Pioneer.
The new BJP chief said that Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin's demand to the Centre for exempting the State from NEET was out of tune with the times. “Last year saw more than 400 students, mainly from rural regions cleared NEET while the period 2010 to 2016 saw on an average 19 students per year qualifying for the same course,” said Annamalai.
He said the BJP in Tamil Nadu was on the same page with other political parties over the Mekedatu Dam issue. “The BJP is against the construction of Mekedatu Dam over the Cauvery River because it would lead to denial of Tamil Nadu’s quota of water as directed by the Cauvery River Water Dispute Tribunal,” said Annamalai.
Annamalai is the youngest State chief of the BJP in India. “We have an experienced team in Tamil Nadu and I am sure with their guidance and blessings, the party would grow and make an impact in the State in coming months,” said Annamalai.