Shah 'admonishing' Tamilisai Soundararajan: outcry in Tami Nadu

Chennai: Following a video surfaced on social media in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah scene publicly "admonished" BJP leader in Tamil Nadu and former Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, widespread outcry erupted in the state. Nadar Mahajan Sangham, an organisation in the state, issued a statement in which it said that insulting a woman, who was also a former governor, in public was totally unexpectable. They demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apologise. They also demanded the same from state BJP chief Annamalai and warned that if both failed to do so, the organisation would start protests on a large scale.

In the video, a sitting Amit Shah could be seen talking to Soundararajan with a strict face, which made it seem like he was talking to her with a displeased expression. The incident took place during the swearing-in ceremony of Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Soundararajan, who came to the oath-taking ceremony, greeted the BJP leaders and was walking when Amit Shah called her.

After the BJP's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, the BJP president in the state, Annamalai, levelled allegations against Soundararajan. Tamizhisai alleged that the BJP did not have a proper plan in Tamil Nadu, and Annamalai did not work out much. It is assumed that Amit Shah reprimanded her in this context.

The BJP's failure to garner at least a single seat in Tamil Nadu, notwithstanding Annamalai's efforts, had given way to dissent in the state party, targeting the state chief.

Annamalai wasunder fire, with senior party leader Kalyana Raman blaming the party's failure in polls on the party chief, saying that Annamalai deceived the party's national leadership over the party's growth in the state, The News Minute reported.