K Annamalai, the former Tamil Nadu BJP chief who left the party in March after the party's disastrous assembly result, reversed his image by publicly backing the Cockroach Janta Party demonstrators at a Delhi rally on Thursday. He said the protestors were exercising their democratic right and that questioning their nationalism was unfair. Annamalai, who has spent 12 years working across six states, argued that a true nationalist must defend dissenting voices.
BJP MP Vanathi Srinivasan, who hails from Tamil Nadu, blasted Annamalai on the floor of the Parliament on Thursday. She told reporters that anyone supporting the CJP had abandoned "nationalism and Hindutva" and that the party should not be seen as giving the group publicity. "Those who back the Cockroach are anti‑nationalists," she said, adding that the NDA had never faced corruption allegations since 2014.
The CJP, a fringe political outfit, has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Its leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained and placed in judicial custody during the Delhi protest after police refused to allow them to use Jantar Mantar as a rally spot. Annamalai's defence of the duo has drawn fire from party hardliners who fear it could energise opposition voters.
The row has exposed fissures within the BJP as it gears up for the 2027 general elections. Annamalai said he would continue to defend the right to protest, even if it means taking a stand against the party's narrative. The party's central office has issued a statement calling for unity and warning that internal disputes could hurt its national campaign.