On Thursday, yesterday, December 26, Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai declared that he would undertake a 48-day fast, whip himself, and remain barefoot until the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was ousted from power.
His protest against the ruling party follows the alleged sexual assault of a student at Anna University in Chennai, according to CNBC TV18 reports.
"Tomorrow, I will hold a protest in front of my house, where I will whip myself six times. Starting tomorrow, I will fast for 48 days and appeal to the six-armed Murugan. Tomorrow, a protest will be held in front of the house of every BJP member. From tomorrow, until the DMK is removed from power, I will not wear sandals. There must be an end to this," he declared.
A video has surfaced online today, Friday, December 27, where the BJP chief can be seen flogging himself as per his announcement.
Sivaganga Member of Parliament (MP) and All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Karti P Chidambaram, a DMK ally, reacted to a video of Annamalai flogging himself with a whip while his supporters chanted "Vetrivel Veeravel, Veeravel Vetrivel," on platform X.
Karti commented, "This self-flagellation has no place in a mature political discourse. Its sheer theatrics. Wondering if some astrologer recommended the parikaram, barefoot, self-flagellation, visit to the Lord Murugan's 6 abodes?"
K Annamalai had previously criticised the police for leaking the survivor's personal information, including her name and phone number, through the First Information Report (FIR).
He further questioned how the FIR became public and why it portrayed the survivor negatively. He also raised concerns about the lack of CCTV cameras on the Anna University campus and the use of the Nirbhaya fund.
The incident involved a second-year student being allegedly sexually assaulted on the campus, with one person arrested in connection with the case.
