"Birthday advertisement": BJP's Annamalai takes swipe at DMK Minister Velu, says using SPA protest as "diplomatic maneuver"

This comes after Velu cited the SPA protest over cooking gas shortages and welfare schemes as the reason for his decision, a move Annamalai dismissed as a "diplomatic maneuver" to remind party members of his birthday.

In an X post, Annamalai claimed that in previous years, the minister had to post his own birthday posters because his own party members would forget the date.

"This year, he's taken on a new avatar. He has a desire for people to celebrate his birthday. But every year, even his own party members forget his birthday, so to remind them, he resorts to all sorts of diplomatic maneuvers. This is one of them," he wrote in Tamil.

Responding to the cooking gas shortage claim, Annamalai highlighted that the number of households with cooking gas connections has increased from 14 crore to around 33 crore through Prime Minister Narendra Modi's schemes in the last decade. "Due to the increased usage, cooking gas imports have also risen," he added.

He attributed any current supply fluctuations to global international market disruptions and war-related impacts, stating, "When global countries are affected by reasons including war in the international market, its impact echoes in all countries. But the government of our Honorable Prime Minister of India Thiru @narendramodi has already implemented a solution for that."

Annamalai concluded his critique by advising the minister to "stop creating unnecessary panic among the public" for personal political gain, pointing out that Chief Minister MK Stalin has simultaneously sought to reassure the public that "there is no shortage of cooking gas".

"On one side, while Chief Minister Thiru @mkstalin keeps saying there is no shortage of cooking gas, Brother Thiru Velu from his cabinet should stop creating unnecessary panic among the public for the sake of his birthday advertisement. Even if he doesn't know anything, acting like he knows everything--like the DMK folks' habit of asking how many goals were scored in cricket--and displaying it at times like this doesn't suit the responsibility he holds," the post read.

This comes as the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance prepares for a massive demonstration on March 15 to condemn the NDA government for what they call a "betrayal" of Tamil Nadu. Minister Velu claimed he is "not in a mindset to celebrate" due to the central government's failure to provide adequate welfare schemes and gas cylinders.

"A Kind Request to Everyone, On March 15, because a massive protest is being organized by the Secular Progressive Alliance to condemn the NDA government and its "slave alliance" for continuously betraying Tamil Nadu--denying both welfare schemes and gas cylinders for cooking--I am not in a mindset to celebrate my birthday.Therefore, I kindly request party executives, comrades, and friends from allied parties to avoid meeting me in person to offer greetings," Velu said in an X post. (ANI)