We The Leaders founder K Annamalai questioned the TVK government's handling of crime and political stability in Tamil Nadu, but praised Sonia Gandhi's right to share her perspective in her new autobiography. File photo: X/@annamalai_k
‘We must look at their perspective’: Annamalai on Sonia Gandhi's autobiography
The former BJP leader said leaders from different ideological backgrounds should be heard, adding that the former Congress president had the right to share her account of her political journey
Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Nov 13 (PTI) We The Leaders founder K Annamalai on Friday raised concerns over the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu under the TVK government, while describing former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, as an “important” read despite ideological differences.
Speaking to reporters here, the former BJP leader questioned the “silence” of the Chief Minister’s Office and the ruling TVK over an alleged issue involving the party's Kallakurichi MLA and a collector.
Noting that the collector had been absent from government events, he demanded that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who also holds the Home portfolio, clarify whether the MLA had sent an inappropriate text message to the woman officer.
“If he sent it, take action. If he did not, say so openly. The continuous silence is only strengthening public suspicion and eroding trust in the government,” he said, adding that the IAS Officers’ Association should break its silence as well.
Targeting the government over a rise in violent crime, Annamalai claimed that 15 to 17 murders were reported on Deepavali day alone, spanning gang-related revenge killings and the murder of an IT engineer.
He criticised the police for conducting what he termed a “rowdy parade” and detaining 300 history-sheeters in Chennai only after the festival and subsequent media reports, rather than taking preventive measures in advance.
He further cited reported record TASMAC liquor sales of Rs 441 crore over two days during Deepavali and incidents of prisoners escaping from jails across the state, including in Theni.
Pointing out that 35 per cent of the electorate had voted for the TVK seeking a change from previous governments, he urged the CM to take proactive steps to reform the police force rather than merely claim that offenders were being arrested. However, Annamalai said he would wait until the government completed a year in office before making a comprehensive assessment of its performance.
On rumours of horse-trading ahead of a possible floor test, he warned opposition parties against trying to poach ruling party MLAs.
Citing reports that TVK General Secretary and Minister N Anand had met around 30 MLAs at his residence, and of closed-door meetings at a private star hotel, he said the people of Tamil Nadu would not forgive anyone trying to destabilise an elected mandate within six months and push the state into another floor test during ongoing by-elections.
Responding to a question on Sonia Gandhi’s newly released autobiography, he said he had begun reading it.
“Even if a leader belongs to a different ideology or party, we must look at their perspective,” he said. He said the book offered an interesting insight into her journey from Cambridge University to her association with Rajiv Gandhi, her views on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the Emergency, her decision not to accept the PM’s post in 2004, and her battle with cancer.
“One can debate her viewpoints or even accuse her of historical whitewashing, as certain things may not be completely acceptable. Yet, as a leader who headed the Congress for a decade and saw many ups and downs, she has every right to share her side of the story,” he added. PTI