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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai’s remark that Mumbai is not a city of Maharashtra but an international city, has triggered a political storm in Maharashtra ahead of the municipal elections, with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray resorting to an aggressive name-calling campaign against the police-turned-politician. In a speech he made in Mumbai on January 11, Raj Thackeray called Annamalai ‘Rasmalai’ and used Shiv Sena’s slogan from the 1960s, “Hatao lungi, bajao pungi”, a slur calling to drive out south Indians from Mumbai.
Raj Thackarey was responding to former Tamil Nadu BJP state president Annamalai who was campaigning for his party ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Annamalai had said: “People want a triple engine government. Modi is in Delhi, Fadnavis is the CM, now Bombay will have a BJP mayor. Bombay is not a Maharashtra city but an international city. The budget of this city is Rs 75,000 crore. Chennai’s budget is Rs 8,000 crore while Bengaluru’s budget is Rs 19,000 crore. So you need good people in the administration to manage the finance, to manage the development.”
The remark made by the BJP leader has given the required ammunition to the MNS-Shiv Sena (UBT) who have positioned their election campaign on Mumbai and Marathi pride.
Responding to this, MNS chief Raj Thackeray at the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS joint rally in Mumbai referred to Annamalai as “Rasmalai”. In his offensive speech, Raj Thackeray said: “One Rasmalai came from Tamil Nadu. He said what's the connection between Mumbai and Maharashtra. What's your connection to come here? That's why Balasaheb said ‘Hatao lungi bajao Pungi’. Raj also used another offensive term for Annamalai, calling him a ‘pimp’.
In the 1960s and 70s, Shiv Sena’s founder Bal Thackeray had launched a campaign against south Indians working in Mumbai, alleging that they were stealing jobs from the local Marathi population. While championing for the Marathi cause, Bal Thackeray had popularised the racist slogan, ‘Hatao lungi bajao Pungi’. Many incidents of violence against establishments owned by or employing south Indians were reported at the time.
Raj Thackeray, while condemning Annamalai’s statement on Mumbai, reiterated the slogan coined by his late uncle Bal Thackeray at the event.
Pitching into the controversy, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the BJP is planning to break away Mumbai from Maharashtra.
“We have been saying this from the beginning…the BJP does not consider Mumbai a city of the state. It has been their design to break Mumbai from Maharashtra. Now, one Annamalai from Tamil Nadu has said it. Mumbai is not a city of Maharashtra.”
He said that Annamalai’s remark is a tight slap on Eknath Shinde and questioned his silence on the matter. He also demanded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to file a case against Annamalai.
While the BJP and supporters have criticised Raj Thackeray for his comments, many on social media pointed out that the BJP used racist jobs at south Indians during various elections, including the one in Odisha.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Opposition’s comments, Annamalai challenged Raj Thackeray on Monday, January 12, saying: “Who are Raj Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed in my village,” Annamalai said, adding, “Some people are holding meetings only to abuse me. I don’t know if I have become that important.”
Responding to the alleged threats against his visit to Mumbai, he said: “Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai… try cutting my legs,” he said.