BJP’s stance against corruption has not changed, says Annamalai

Interacting with journalists at Nadukuppam, Chennai, the Tamil Nadu BJP president said the key for the BJP-led National Democratic alliance (NDA) is to convert the people's sentiment against the DMK into votes and win all 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Sunday said his party’s stance against corruption had not changed and he would continue to flag issues of corruption.

“BJP is against corruption,” he claimed, adding, “In the run up to the Lok Sabha elections, you will see us raising the issues about corruption in the State in the next six-seven months as a part of the anti-corruption campaign En Mann, En Makkal’. There is no need to take names of any political party or leaders now.”

Interacting with journalists at Nadukuppam, Chennai, Mr. Annamalai, who attended a recent meeting between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J.P. Nadda in New Delhi, said he did not want to share details regarding the meeting.

According to him, the key for the BJP-led National Democratic alliance (NDA) is to convert the people’s sentiment against the DMK into votes and win all 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in the State, which was highlighted in the meeting. “While the AIADMK is the bigger party in the NDA alliance in the State. We will go into the Lok Sabha election with Narendra Modi as the Prime Ministerial candidate and face of the NDA alliance,” he said.

He believed the focus is also on growing the BJP in the State and Mr. Modi, Mr. Shah and Mr. Nadda have given him a clear roadmap for the next five years. On the ongoing IT searches on real estate company G-Square, he said it had nothing to do with the allegations made by him. “The raid is going on for six days. We can assume that the quantum of material is heavy,” Mr. Annamalai said.

On the purported audio clip of State Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the BJP leader said he is ready to produce the original audio if a complaint is filed. Mr. Rajan said the clip released by him was fabricated. On the legal notice issued by DMK MP and deputy general secretary Kanimozhi seeking his unconditional apology, he said his allegations were about the wealth accumulation.

Earlier at an event organised on the occasion of the 100 th episode of Mr. Modi’s monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Mr. Annamalai released a book Celebrating Tamil Nadu, a compilation of mentions of Tamil people, culture and history in the various episodes of the programme.