Annamalai hits back at Raj Thackeray’s ‘Rasmalai’ remark
Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Thursday hit back fiercely at Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray over the “Rasmalai” remark, issuing an open dare and brushing aside threats directed at him.
“Some people have written that they will chop off my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai. Try chopping off my legs,” Annamalai said, asserting that he would not be intimidated by political threats. “If I were scared of such warnings, I would have stayed back in my village,” he added, calling Thackeray’s comment an insult to Tamilians.
The sharp exchange comes amid a political storm triggered by Annamalai’s remarks ahead of Maharashtra’s crucial civic elections, where he described Mumbai not as the capital of Maharashtra but as the financial capital of India and a global city requiring strong governance.
Annamalai argued that Mumbai needs a “triple-engine government” — a BJP mayor in the city, Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister in the state, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre — to effectively manage the metropolis. Highlighting Mumbai’s scale, he pointed out that the city’s civic budget exceeds ₹40,000 crore, far larger than Bengaluru’s ₹19,000 crore and Chennai’s ₹8,000 crore, stressing the need for competent administrators.
His comments provoked a sharp reaction from Raj Thackeray, who mocked the Tamil Nadu leader by calling him “Rasmalai” and questioning his connection to Mumbai. Reviving an old Shiv Sena slogan, Thackeray said, “One Rasmalai has come from Tamil Nadu… what is your link to this place? Hatao lungi, bajao pungi.”
Responding to the personal attack, Annamalai said he was unfazed. “Who are Raj Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. They are holding meetings just to abuse me — I don’t know when I became so important,” he said.
Backing Annamalai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to defuse the tension, saying Mumbai is indeed an international city and advising party colleagues not to take Raj Thackeray’s remarks too seriously.
The war of words unfolds just days ahead of the January 15 elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Vote counting is scheduled for January 16.
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