'Beggar from Tamil Nadu': Shiv Sena (UBT) escalates Annamalai offensive, slams his remarks on Mumbai

Annamalai, a former IPS officer and former chief of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, visited Mumbai last week to campaign for the upcoming election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

• Shiv Sena's Saamana criticized BJP's Annamalai for remarks on Mumbai's identity
• Saamana accused Maharashtra's government of corruption and harming Marathi culture
• Maharashtra municipal elections on Jan 15, counting on Jan 16

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Stepping up its attack on Annamalai, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s mouthpiece Saamana called the BJP leader a traitor to Tamils too.

"A beggar from Tamil Nadu, BJP leader Annamalai, appeared in Mumbai as a star campaigner for the BJP and blabbered, "Mumbai has nothing to do with Maharashtra. What connection does Mumbai have with Maharashtra?"

The editorial also repeated the 'Rasmalai' jibe, which had also been used by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at a joint UBT-MNS rally. The editorial slammed the BJP leaders who were present when Annamalai made the remarks on Mumbai. When this anti-Maharashtra Rasmalai of the BJP was giving his speech on the stage, several Marathi leaders of Mumbai BJP were present on the stage, and they were not bothered by Rasmalai's venomous words," it said.

Annamalai, a former IPS officer and former chief of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, visited Mumbai last week to campaign for the upcoming election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

Saamana also alleged that the Devendra Fadnavis-Eknath Shinde led government in Maharashtra had tarnished the state's image by engaging in corrupt practices and "crushing the Marathi language, culture, and its identity."

Separating Annamalai's statement from the broader politics in Tamil Nadu, Saamana said that be it DMK or AIADMK, they have never insulted Maharashtra, with the local leaders also fighting together with Tamil leaders against the mandatory three-language formula which was to be 'imposed' through the National Education Policy (NEP).

"Whether they are from the DMK or AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, all of them have fought and struggled to maintain their provincial and linguistic identity. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra fought shoulder to shoulder against the mandatory three-language formula order, and ultimately the central government had to withdraw the mandatory three-language formula order," according to the editorial.

The Maharashtra Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16.