Annamalai Turns Fire On BJP Over CJP Crackdown: ‘Is The Party Opposing It Or Giving Free Publicity?’

Former Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai has stepped up his criticism of the Centre over the Delhi Police crackdown on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders, questioning the legality of preventive detention procedures and accusing the government of branding dissenters as “foreign agents” instead of answering their questions.

In a detailed post on social media, Annamalai said people who questioned violations of due process in a democracy were subjected to attacks and labels rather than being heard.

“In a democracy, if you question the violation of due process of law, you are called various names. You will have to face various attacks, including being branded as a ‘foreign agent’,” he wrote.

His remarks came a day after he described the Delhi Police’s action against CJP as a “real disservice” and defended the group’s democratic right to raise questions critical of the government.

Annamalai Backs CJP’s Right To Protest, Rejects Its Tactics

Annamalai, who quit the BJP on June 5, 2026, said the Centre should respond to the questions raised by CJP instead of portraying its protests as anti-national. He, however, made it clear that he did not endorse the organisation’s protest methods.

“I want to make one thing clear to some people in the BJP. If you have a habit of choosing oblivion at your convenience, don't forget this anymore: I quit the BJP on June 5, 2026,” he wrote on X.

“As I said yesterday, I do not agree with the CJP's protest tactics, and I find many of their approaches misguided. But if you ask me if they have the right to protest, argue or fight on an issue they consider important, I would definitely say yes!” he added.

Annamalai also cautioned against discrediting democratic institutions over alleged mistakes by individuals, maintaining that criticism of the authorities should be addressed rather than dismissed.

Five Questions On Jantar Mantar, Detention And Police Action

In a five-point list directed at the Centre, Annamalai raised questions about the denotification of Jantar Mantar as a protest site, the powers exercised by police officers acting as Special Executive Magistrates and the handling of a bail hearing involving CJP members arrested on October 13.

He also questioned the rejection of eight sureties and alleged the use of pellet guns and other violations of standard operating procedures during the NEET protests.

On Jantar Mantar, Annamalai asked how the site had been denotified as a protest venue after CJP submitted a request for permission to demonstrate.

He further said the detained CJP functionaries had been released by the Special Executive Magistrate after the matter reached the High Court.

Annamalai questioned whether the BJP’s response was helping the organisation gain political visibility rather than weakening it.

“Is the BJP really opposing the CJP? Or is it providing free publicity for it?” he asked.

He went on to allege that the BJP could be trying to split Opposition votes by projecting CJP as a major political force.

“At this rate, even if the CJP paid, they could not have had a better publicity team!” he wrote.

BJP Accuses Annamalai Of Double Standards On SIR

Annamalai’s criticism drew a sharp response from the BJP, with Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy accusing the former state party chief of changing his position on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after leaving the organisation.

Thirupathy said Annamalai had previously defended the revision exercise, argued that Tamil Nadu had a large number of fake voters who needed to be removed, and criticised the ruling DMK for opposing the process.

He also referred to Annamalai’s public debate with Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in May 2026, claiming that the former BJP leader had defended SIR as fair and necessary while accusing the Opposition of double standards.

“Today, after quitting the BJP, the same Annamalai has switched sides,” Thirupathy said, questioning why he was now supporting concerns raised by CJP and the Congress.

BJP Says Police Must Enforce Law During Protests

Thirupathy also defended the Delhi Police’s handling of the demonstrations, arguing that the police were required to act when protests crossed legal boundaries or continued after demonstrators were asked to disperse.

He said Annamalai, a former IPS officer, understood the demands of maintaining law and order, and argued that his criticism of the police was inconsistent with his previous responsibilities.

“Consistency matters, especially from someone who has been both a police officer and a senior political leader,” Thirupathy said.

Annamalai, however, maintained that the government must answer questions raised by protesters even when their methods are disputed. His intervention has brought the disagreement over the CJP crackdown into the open, with the former BJP leader defending the right to dissent and his former party challenging his consistency on electoral and policing issues.