BMC Elections: Annamalai Responds Sharply to Raj Thackeray’s ‘Rasmalai’ Comment

The clash between K Annamalai and Raj Thackeray has intensified just days before Maharashtra civic polls, with sharp exchanges over Mumbai, Marathi pride and Tamil identity. At a recent joint rally in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray mocked the BJP leader as “rasmalai”, triggering a storm that has spilled into campaign speeches and media debates across both states.

The row centres on Annamalai’s comments about Mumbai and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Kamaraj, which drew attacks from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT). Raj Thackeray questioned Annamalai’s right to speak on Mumbai affairs and used a slogan linked with earlier agitation politics, further straining ties between Marathi and Tamil political groups.

Maharashtra civic polls row over Mumbai, Marathi pride and Tamil identity

Addressing supporters in Mumbai during a joint event with Shiv Sena (UBT), Raj Thackeray targeted the Tamil Nadu BJP leader with a personal jibe. "One rasmalai came from Tamil Nadu. What is your connection to here? Hatao lungi bajao pungi," Raj Thackeray said referencing a slogan historically associated with the Shiv Sena's early campaigns against South Indians.

Annamalai responded from Chennai, saying he would not withdraw his comments or avoid Maharashtra civic polls campaigning in Mumbai. He rejected any suggestion that he had insulted Marathi people and argued that his remarks on Kamaraj and Mumbai had been misrepresented. The BJP leader also said he viewed the verbal assault as part of a politics based on threats.

Maharashtra civic polls rhetoric, threats and K Annamalai’s counterattack

Challenging the Thackeray family directly, Annamalai questioned their right to warn him against entering the city. "Who are Aditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me?" he said, stressing that he was proud of being a farmer’s son and that political pressure or personal attacks would not force any change in his plans to travel.

Annamalai cited online posts and media comments that hinted at violent action if he visited Mumbai during the Maharashtra civic polls campaign. "Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai. Try cutting my legs. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed back in my village," he said, describing the warnings as attempts at intimidation.

The former IPS officer firmly dismissed allegations that he had questioned Marathi pride by praising Kamaraj or describing Mumbai as a global city. "If I say Kamaraj is one of India's greatest leaders, does that mean he is no longer a Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does that mean Maharashtrians didn't build it?" Annamalai asked, adding that Mumbai’s growth was tied closely to Marathi workers and entrepreneurs.

He argued that some critics displayed ignorance about both Marathi and Tamil contributions, pointing to jibes at dhotis and lungis as insults aimed at Tamils more broadly. He reminded audiences that the DMK, which has often attacked him in Tamil Nadu, now shares space with Shiv Sena (UBT) in the same opposition bloc, and called that alignment surprising given the current rhetoric.

Building on that point, Annamalai accused his opponents of turning a political dispute into an attack on an entire community. "Insulting me is nothing new. The DMK has been doing it for years. But now they are insulting Tamils as a people. These politics survive on threats and intimidation. I am not someone who will be scared by talk of cutting hands or legs," the BJP leader said, framing the debate as a larger issue of dignity.

Raj Thackeray’s comments drew attention to the Shiv Sena’s historic campaigns under Bal Thackeray, who launched the cartoon weekly Marmik in 1960 and founded the Shiv Sena in 1966. Those early years saw a strong emphasis on Marathi identity, with frequent criticism of migrants from southern states, themes that have resurfaced through the “Hatao lungi, bajao pungi” slogan during the Maharashtra civic polls season.

As voting for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, is set for January 15 with counting on January 16, the exchange between Raj Thackeray and K Annamalai has added a sharp regional edge to Maharashtra civic polls campaigning, drawing young voters into debates on identity, language and the limits of political speech.