The political atmosphere in Maharashtra has been heated following a controversial statement by former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai regarding Mumbai's identity. The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has launched a fierce attack, demanding his immediate arrest for remarks perceived as an insult to Marathi pride and the state's history.
The Controversial Statement and Immediate Backlash
While campaigning for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections last week, Annamalai stated that Mumbai is not a Maharashtrian city but an international one. This comment quickly ignited a major political controversy, drawing sharp reactions from Maharashtra-based parties, particularly the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).
Party leaders connected Annamalai's remark directly to the emotive Samyukta Maharashtra movement of the 1960s. This historic struggle was pivotal in ensuring Mumbai remained a part of Maharashtra instead of being ceded to Gujarat. Sena (UBT) leaders framed the current comment as a disrespect to that hard-fought battle and the sentiments of the people.
Sena (UBT)'s Stern Demands and Political Accusations
Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut led the charge, posing pointed questions to the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state. "Is this the BJP's official view?" Raut asked. He emphasized the gravity of the comment about Maharashtra's capital city and invoked the sacrifice of 106 Marathi martyrs who died during the statehood movement.
Raut demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis register a formal case against Annamalai and ensure his arrest. He also questioned the silence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who leads the rival Shiv Sena faction, on this sensitive issue. "Why is the Deputy CM quiet?" Raut asked, aiming to drive a wedge within the ruling coalition.
Adding to the pressure, Sena (UBT) legislator and former minister Aaditya Thackeray called upon the BJP to clarify its official stand on Annamalai's statement. This move seeks to force the state's dominant political party into a defensive position over a comment made by one of its prominent national leaders from the south.
Broader Implications and Lingering Tensions
The row underscores the enduring sensitivity around linguistic and regional identity in Mumbai, a city that is both Maharashtra's economic heart and a cosmopolitan global hub. Political observers note that such statements, especially made during the charged season of BMC polls, are often leveraged to consolidate regional vote banks and challenge opponents' commitment to local interests.
The demand for arrest has escalated a war of words into a potential legal and law-and-order issue, putting the state government in a spot. How the ruling alliance responds will be closely watched, as it balances its national party's broad outlook with the potent regional sentiments of its core constituency in Maharashtra. The incident has successfully brought historical narratives of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement back into contemporary political discourse.
