Annamalai Slams Centre Over Detention of CJP Protesters, Reiterates He Quit BJP

Former IPS officer and ex-Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Wednesday criticised the Centre over the detention of CJP protesters in New Delhi, questioning the police's methods and stressing the importance of the right to dissent in a democracy.

In a post on X, Annamalai referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2011 remarks, when he was Gujarat Chief Minister, criticising the midnight police crackdown on anti-corruption protesters at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi.

Annamalai said Modi had then expressed his willingness to travel to Delhi and challenge the Central government over the action, adding that he considered the remarks justified.

Questioning the handling of the current protests, Annamalai raised concerns over due process, preventive bond proceedings and the possibility of protesters being detained for extended periods. He also alleged that those questioning such actions were subjected to criticism and labelled foreign agents.

Annamalai said he had faced sustained attacks since urging the Centre to engage with protesters during the NEET examination protests. However, he said he had chosen to focus on issues affecting Tamil Nadu rather than respond to the criticism.

Referring to his press conference on Tuesday, he said he had questioned the Delhi Police's methods of detaining CJP protesters, following which the criticism against him had resumed.

He also addressed critics within the BJP, reiterating that he had resigned from the party on June 5, 2026.

While expressing disagreement with some of CJP's tactics, Annamalai maintained that protesters had the right to oppose or argue against issues they considered important.

"If you ask me whether they have a right to oppose/argue/protest on an issue that they think is important, I would categorically say YES," he said.

Annamalai urged people to continue raising questions on the issue and called on the Central government to respond to concerns over the handling of the protests rather than resort to whataboutism.