‘Mumbai is not a Maharashtra city’: Annamalai triggers backlash from Shiv Sena (UBT)

Mumbai: IPS officer-turned-politician K Annamalai sparked off a controversy in Mumbai when he said “Bombay is not a Maharashtra city but an international city” invoking sharp reactions from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and other political parties and organisations.

In the run up to the elections to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, Annamalai was in Mumbai campaigning in Dharavi and Sion-Koliwada areas, which have a considerable Tamil-speaking population.

“…Bombay (Mumbai) is not a Maharashtra city but an international city…it has a budget of Rs 75,000 crore…Chennai has a budget of Rs 8,000 crore and Bengaluru has a budget of Rs 19,000 crore,” Annamalai said.

Lauding the efforts of prime minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, he said the BJP was keen to establish a “triple-engine sarkar” to take Mumbai ahead. “If you look at Tamil Nadu it is DMK (in the state) and BJP (at the Centre)…in Hyderabad it is Congress and BJP…in Bengaluru it is Congress and the BJP…here we are looking at a possible triple-engine sarkar,” he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut slammed Annamalai and the BJP for the statement.

“I am shocked that Annamalai came from Tamil Nadu to Mumbai and claimed that Mumbai does not belong to Maharashtra,” he said and questioned the silence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is the Shiv Sena chief leader.

“If Shiv Sena were truly standing for Maharashtra, this insult would not have been tolerated. I ask Fadnavis and Shinde...if Mumbai does not belong to Maharashtra, then whose is it? Such remarks insult the people of Maharashtra and Marathi pride. An FIR should be filed against Annamalai for this,” said Raut.