Chennai. Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai on Monday said Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan’s “insistence on beef” shows the extent to which the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee has moved away from Gandhiji’s ideology. Speaking to reporters, Annamalai said people have the right to eat and choose whatever they want, but they cannot force others to prepare a particular type of food when they visit a particular place as guests.
Tamil Nadu Congress had recently announced a protest in front of the BJP headquarters here against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment on Tamil Nadu regarding the keys of the temple of Odisha. The BJP state president made this comment in the same background.
Annamalai had then said that his party would provide food to the protesters and also gift them a book on the ‘betrayal’ of Tamils by the DMK and the Congress. In response, senior Congress leader Elangovan asked the Tamil Nadu BJP chief to prepare non-vegetarian food, including beef.
To this, Annamalai said, “We will provide lunch to the protesters. Have a good meal.” He said they (Congress) cannot insist on a particular variety and Elangovan should once study Mahatma Gandhi’s views on beef. He said, “I have no right to tell you not to eat beef. But, you cannot force me…you have no right to tell me to cook beef.” The BJP leader wondered if demanding to cook beef was not autocratic.
Annamalai said the term Hindutva has been distorted in the state. He said former chief minister and late AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa was a Hindutva leader. He underlined her support for the Ram temple, Uniform Civil Code and repeal of Article 370. Stating that the AIADMK was ready to debate the issue, Annamalai said, “Jayalalithaa was a staunch follower of Hindutva.” Speaking to reporters, he said if any AIADMK member has doubts about Hindutva, they can cite the 1995 Supreme Court verdict in the matter.
Justice J.S. Verma’s decision made it clear that Hindutva is a way of life. “Taking everyone along is Hindutva… depending only on Hinduism is not Hindutva,” he said, adding that his definition of Hindutva stems from the apex court’s decision.
He said, “In Tamil Nadu, Hindutva (the term) is distorted…I am citing the Supreme Court verdict…what we say is that we are not enemies of anyone.” Elaborating on his recent comment that Jayalalithaa was a Hindutva leader, he said that on July 26, 1984, Jayalalithaa had demanded the repeal of Article 370 in the Rajya Sabha.