COIMBATORE: BJP state president K. Annamalai staged a dramatic protest against the ruling DMK government on Friday by whipping himself in front of his residence near Kalapatti in Coimbatore.
Annamalai said he chose this form of protest as it was a practice followed by many of his forefathers, symbolising surrender to a higher power.
“What we call whipping and ‘Sattaiadi’ in Tamil is only a process of surrendering to the higher power and surrendering to God. Removing my shoes, I have taken this decision after much consideration because I believe, after all the hard work of the party and the cadre, it is also important to surrender yourself to the larger power and leave the larger power to take care of things happening. Hence, I request all the cadres and leaders to work harder than the state. Because the 2026 goal should be to remove DMK from power and regain Tamil Nadu’s lost glory,” he said.
Condemning the sexual assault of a girl student at the Anna University campus in Chennai, Annamalai had on Thursday removed his shoes during a press conference in Coimbatore. He announced that he would whip himself six times against the evil forces in Tamil Nadu, observe a 48-day fast, and abstain from wearing shoes until the DMK government is ousted.
Following the protest, he clarified that his actions were not directed at any individual or intended to express personal anger.
“We are watching the next generation being spoiled before us. It is our tradition that women should not be harmed even in a war. But today, crimes against women are increasing in Tamil Nadu. We are offering six lashes to Lord Muruga. We are going to expose DMK on all platforms. We will not wear shoes again until DMK leaves power. This is a whipping that I give myself for Lord Muruga—a whipping for the atrocities happening in society,” he stated.
Annamalai also criticised the Tamil Nadu police for revealing the FIR, which disclosed the identity of the victim. He questioned Chennai City Police Commissioner A. Arun’s explanation, which blamed the leak on a technical glitch.
“An FIR, which is registered and stored in a server, cannot on its own walk to the mobile phone screen,” said Annamalai.
During the protest, Annamalai whipped himself eight times, although two attempts were unsuccessful. Party functionaries present at the spot intervened, urging him to stop. Women cadres broke down in tears, pleading with him to avoid such forms of protest and warning that they too would resort to similar actions if he continued.
