Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai flogged himself six times Friday morning.
In a shocking video shared by news agency ANI, Mr Annamalai stands, shirtless in a green lungi, with a large whip in his hand. To adoring shouts and slogans, he then whips himself six times, a seventh stopped by a supporter who runs in, dodges the whip, and hugs Mr Annamalai.
Why the self-flagellation? Because the senior BJP leader vowed last evening to whip himself six times to kickstart a mega protest, which includes a 48-day fast and a promise to go barefeet, against the ruling DMK with the target of ensuring its defeat in the 2026 Assembly election.
“Anybody understanding Tamil culture will understand this (the self-flagellation). Flogging ourselves… punishing ourselves… it is part of this culture,” he told reporters after the whipping.
#WATCH | Coimbatore | Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai self-whips himself as a mark of protest to demand justice in the Anna University alleged sexual assault case. pic.twitter.com/ZoEhSsoo1r
— ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2024
“This (his protest) is not against any person or thing… but against a continuous injustice that is happening in the state,” Mr Annamalai told reporters, “What happened at Anna University is only the tipping point. If you look at what has been happening over the last 3 years… the continuous injustice against the common people, against women and children, and the corruption…”
“So, yesterday I announced that we have chosen to go (down this) path… which a lot of my forefathers walked on, flogging and whipping ourselves…”
READ | “Will Whip Myself…”: Tamil Nadu BJP Chief’s Big Pre-Poll Promise
Mr Annamalai’s protests have been triggered by the horrific sexual assault this week of a student at Chennai’s Anna University, and the thrashing of her male friend. A 37-year-old man, who ran a roadside food stall has been arrested. Police said Wednesday that he had confessed.
The assault, however, has led to a predictable political spat between the DMK of Chief Minister MK Stalin and the BJP and the AIADMK, the main opposition parties, who were allies till September last year, when they fell apart after Mr Annamalai criticised the state party’s icons.
On Wednesday he ripped into the DMK government, declaring the state had become a “breeding ground of unlawful activities” and a “haven for criminals” under its administration.
With input from agencies
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