A video clip from the swearing-in ceremony of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, showing what seems to be Union Home Minister Amit Shah reprimanding BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan, has gone viral on social media, sparking a controversy over the infighting within the party's Tamil Nadu unit.
The brief interaction in the video, shows Tamilisai greeting Shah, Venkaiah Naidu and others on stage. When Shah calls her back and interacts with her in a seemingly serious manner.
Since then, netizens on social media have been curious over what was brewing in their conversation. Some have allegedly linked the incident with instances of infighting within the Tamil Nadu BJP, especially the fall out between the supporters of state president K Annamalai and Tamilisai.
The incident also caught the attention of Tamil Nadu's ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. DMK spokesperson Sarvanan Annadurai took to X to address the situation and asked "What kind of politics is this?"
"Is it polite to put a prominent female politician of Tamil Nadu on stage and express harsh words or threatening body language? Does Amit Shah not know that everyone will see this?" Annadurai said, terming it to be a "very bad example".
The root of this issue seems to be stemming from the tussle between the former Telangana Governor and Annamalai's supporters, that broke out after the BJP's drubbing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Reportedly, party functionaries had been blaming Annamalai for the party's loss, saying that it was because of his approach that AIADMK severed ties with the BJP.
Former Tamil Nadu minister and AIADMK leader SP Velumani on Thursday had said that if the AIADMK-BJP alliance had been there, then the front would have bagged at least 30-35 seats in the elections.
He out rightly blamed Annamalai for the split between the two parties and said, "Our ties with BJP were intact when Tamilisai Soundararajan and L Murugan were state presidents. The rift in the alliance was only because of Annamalai's speeches."
As cited by a Times of India report, Velumani had alleged that the state BJP president had made distasteful comments about AIADMK's icon CN Annadurai, and later about Amma (former TN chief minister J Jayalalithaa).
Meanwhile, Annamalai responded to the allegations levelled against him by Velumani and said that the split was because people rejected AIADMK knowing that they could not win any seats.
"AIADMK leaders said it was only because of BJP that they lost several seats in 2019 and that they would get more votes in 2024 since they parted ways with BJP," Annamalai said.
The rift over BJP's defeat further deepened after Tamilisai, in an interview, aligned her opinion with that of Velumani's and said that the BJP-AIADMK alliance could have won upto 35 seats.
However, Tamilsai's remarks did not sit well with the Annamalai supporters. BJP OBC Morcha state general secretary, Tiruchi Suriyaa, shared a clip from Tamilisai's interview and said, "It is obvious that you are complaining about the development of the party and the fame that the individual gets."
Taking a swipe at the former Telangana Governor, Suriyaa said, "The fact is that people did not even come forward to join the party when you were the state president."
BJP leader Kalyaan Raman was quick to come to Tamilisai's defence and asked, "Do you know anything about her contribution to the Tamil Nadu BJP?"
Raman backed Tamilsai and Velumani, saying that Annamalai "as usual trying to mislead the central leadership".
Meanwhile, Raman has also addressed the said video clip of Shah 'reprimanding' Tamilsai. Taking to X, Raman said, "A video is being circulated, seemingly taken in Andhrapradesh in which @AmitShah Bhai and @DrTamilisai4BJP were talking. It is interpreted as admonishment of her by Amit Bhai. All those who are talking about Admonishment are all from the same lose knit Warroom group of paid thugs. They must know that what was discussed between them is not known to anyone other than two of them."
He again, hit out at at Annamalai, saying "What is happening is gleeful misinterpretation / jumping the gun, once again being engineered by @annamalai_k, to keep himself afloat from facing voice of dissent emanating from people like me."
"The fact remains, Annamalai is arrogant, lacks maturity-Clarity-Vision for the future, deceptive and manipulative is once again being established by what is happening again after a video got circulated now," Raman added.
Notably, Tamilisai and Shah are yet to address the video.
