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Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai on Monday hit back at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's attempts to allegedly "abuse" him while adding that those who criticised his previous remarks on Mumbai were "just ignorant".
"Who are Aditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer's son. They have organised meetings just to abuse me. I don't know whether I have become that important," Annamalai said at a press conference in Chennai. Earlier, in a joint UBT-MNS rally in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray had taken a sharp jibe at the BJP leader whom he mockingly referred to as 'rasmalai' and asked whether Annamalai has any standing to speak on Mumbai's issue, after the latter allegedly suggested that Mumbai is an "international city." "One rasmalai came from Tamil Nadu...what is your connection to here? Hatao lungi bajao pungi," Raj Thackeray had said, referencing the slogan from the 1960s and 70s of the Shiv Sena that was founded by Raj Thackeray's uncle, Balasaheb Thackeray. The statement by the MNS chief came after Annamalai had said that "Bombay is not a Maharashtra city, but an international city," while campaigning in Dharavi and Sion Koliwada areas for the party. "Mumbai needs a triple-engine government. We need a BJP mayor in Mumbai, with (Maharashtra) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the state, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre. Mumbai is a global metropolis which has a budget of over Rs 40,000 crore. Bengaluru's budget is Rs 19,000 crore, while Chennai's is Rs 8,000 crore. You need good people who sit in the administration to manage the finance," Annamalai had said. Annamalai also alleged that he has received multiple threats, with some people threatening to cut off his legs too. "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 in my village," he said. He added, "If I say Kamaraj is one of India's greatest leaders, does it mean he is no longer a Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean Maharashtrians didn't build it? These people are just ignorant." In the same UBT-MNS rally, Raj Thackeray made a strong pitch for Marathi unity, warning that the state's language, land and identity are under threat. He termed the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls as a "decisive" election for the Marathi community, urging voters to unite for Maharashtra and remain vigilant on polling day to prevent any malpractice. The State Election Commission in Maharashtra has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16. (ANI)
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