'There is difference between likening and calling', TN BJP chief refuses to apologise for monkey remark

Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) state president K Annamalai seemed reluctant to tender an apology for his statement comparing journalists to monkeys, being steadfast to his stand that he did not call reporters monkeys.

He tried to differentiate the remark "like monkeys" and calling someone "monkeys" for his defence when the media made it clear that there was no difference in both statements.

He said he just said "why reporters are jumping like monkeys for not allowing me to talk. I did not call reporter money", adding he would stick to what he had said.

When Annamalai attended a BJP demonstration in Cuddalore on October 27, reporters pursued him for quotes which angered him to make a statement comparing reporters to monkeys.

Then the angry Annamalai asked, "Why are you surrounding me like monkeys jumping on a tree?". Annamalai was said to have been asked his response over the statement made by Senthil Balaji on the Coimbatore blast that angered him.

The Minister said that the names of the persons behind the blast would only be released after the police investigation and if a certain party's leader already knew even before the probe, the NIA should first investigate that BJP leader.

"I will not apologise. I never made a mistake. I will not apologise, it is not in my blood. When I have not done anything wrong, why should I apologise? Beyond this, it is your choice to cover my press meets or not." He also said prior to refusing to issue an apology, "If I say someone walked like a tiger or clawed like a tiger, does that make you a tiger? Are you a tiger? Okay, then you leap like a tiger. If I say Shabbir Ahmed asked me a question like a tiger, let's see if you bite me. These are all metaphors," The News Minute reported that the BJP leader was saying when he was asked to apologise for the comment he made against journalists while attending a press meet on October 30 in Coimbatore.