Raj Thackeray, Annamalai in a war of words

The MNS chief played a video of the statement that had riled him and Uddhav Thackeray and subsequently blew up into a huge controversy. The Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Akhil Chitre also shared the video, alleging that Annamalai’s statement betrayed the BJP’s real intention: to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.

On Monday, Annamalai, who Raj had referred to as ‘rasmalai’ in his rally, hit back, saying that he would not be intimidated by the threat in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamna that his legs would be cut off if he entered Mumbai again. “I will come to Mumbai. Do what you will. If I were to get scared of such threats, I would have remained in my native village forever,” he said while speaking to reporters in Chennai.

The BJP leader also questioned whether he had become such an important leader that Raj and Uddhav Thackeray had to organise a public meeting to attack him. “Who are they to threaten me?” he demanded. Accusing the cousins of “damaging the legacy of Bal Thackeray”, he said that he had a lot of respect for the Shiv Sena founder. Incidentally, the slogan mouthed by Raj was coined when Bal Thackeray led the Shiv Sena.