The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena on Sunday demanded the arrest of BJP leader K. Annamalai for his remark that “Bombay was not a Maharashtra city”, stepping up its attack on the ruling party and sharpening the Maratha pride pitch ahead of the high-stakes civic elections.
Campaigning for the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls last Friday, former Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai said his party was keen to establish a “triple-engine sarkar” for Mumbai’s development. In the course of his address, he remarked that “Bombay is not a Maharashtra city but an international city”, citing the cash-rich civic body’s budget, which he said far exceeded those of other metropolitan cities. He was campaigning in the areas of the city populated by Tamils.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed the comment validated its long-standing allegation that the BJP was plotting to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
Launching a sharp attack, party MP Sanjay Raut demanded legal action against Annamalai. “He is the BJP’s star campaigner. How can he speak like this about Maharashtra’s capital? The chief minister should file a case against him and have him arrested,” Raut told reporters.
The controversy comes amid a rare political alignment between estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who have joined hands for the Mumbai civic elections, projecting their unity as a bid to protect Maratha pride. Both leaders have sought to portray the BJP as representing non-Marathi interests and attempting to dominate the country’s financial capital. Annamalai’s remarks have provided fresh ammo for the Sena campaign.
“They have been planning to break Mumbai away from Maharashtra. I ask Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde — if Mumbai does not belong to Maharashtra, then whose is it? Such remarks insult the people of Maharashtra and Maratha pride. An FIR should be filed against Annamalai,” Raut said.
As the row escalated, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Bawankule sought to contain the damage, claiming the remarks had been distorted.
“People often distort or misunderstand comments made during speeches. We need to ascertain what exactly he meant,” said Bawankule, a former state BJP president.
