“I Will Come to Mumbai, Try Cutting Off My Legs”: BJP Leader K. Annamalai Responds to Raj Thackeray’s Challenge

Chennai: In a fiery rebuttal to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, BJP leader K. Annamalai has accepted the challenge to visit Mumbai despite threats and ridicule. Raj Thackeray had earlier mocked Annamalai by calling him “Rasmalai” and threatened to cut off his legs if he came to Mumbai. Thackeray also referenced the Shiv Sena slogan from the 1960s-70s, “Hatao Lungi, Bajao Pungi”.

Speaking at a press conference in Chennai on Monday, Annamalai said, “I will come to Mumbai, try cutting off my legs. I do not fear such threats. If I did, I would have stayed in my village.” He added that he had received multiple threats, some even promising to harm his legs. He questioned, “Who are Aditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. They held meetings only to hurl abuses at me. I didn’t know I had become so important.”

Annamalai also criticized attempts to politicize his remarks, stating, “If I call Kamaraj one of India’s greatest leaders, does it mean he is no longer Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean the people of Maharashtra did not build it? These people are just ignorant.”

The exchange stems from Thackeray’s speech at a UBT-MNS rally on Sunday, where he mocked Annamalai’s description of Mumbai as an international city. He also referenced the Shiv Sena slogan “Hatao Lungi, Bajao Pungi” and threatened people from UP and Bihar over imposing Hindi. The rally, attended by Uddhav Thackeray, was part of the municipal elections in 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra, including Pune, Mumbai, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Voting is scheduled for 15 January, with counting on 16 January.