'Foreign agent if you question': Annamalai slams CJP crackdown, BJP hits back

Former Tamil Nadu BJP chief 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 critics as "foreign agents" instead of addressing their concerns. In a social media post, Annamalai said those who questioned violations of due process in a democracy were often subjected to attacks and labelled with various names, including "foreign agent". His remarks came a day after he described the Delhi Police's action against CJP as a "real disservice" and defended the organisation's right to raise questions on issues of public importance. Annamalai, who quit the BJP on June 5, 2026, said the Centre should respond to the questions raised by CJP rather than dismissing its protests as anti-national. While making it clear that he did not endorse the group's protest tactics, he maintained that it had the right to dissent. "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 wrote on X. He also reminded BJP leaders that he had left the party in June, accusing some of them of conveniently forgetting his position. "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. 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 wrote on X. The BJP, meanwhile, hit back at Annamalai, accusing him of double standards and alleging that he had changed his stand on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after leaving the party. BJP's Tamil Nadu chief spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy, accused Annamalai of changing his position on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after quitting the party. Thirupathy told India Today that Annamalai had previously supported the exercise, arguing that Tamil Nadu had a significant number of fake voters who needed to be removed. He also accused the DMK of opposing the revision despite the need to clean up electoral rolls. Referring to Annamalai's debate with Congress leader Shashi Tharoor in May 2026, Thirupathy said the former BJP leader had defended SIR as a fair and necessary exercise while accusing the Opposition of double standards. "Today, after quitting the BJP, the same Annamalai has switched sides," Thirupathy said, questioning his support for the objections raised by CJP and the Congress. He also defended the Delhi Police's handling of the protests, arguing that the police were justified in intervening when demonstrations violated legal limits or continued despite orders to disperse.