K Annamalai, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday and said he took the political plunge after being inspired by the leadership qualities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Quoting a verse from Thirukural, a classic Tamil text, which celebrates the qualities of a king, his administrative and leadership skills, fearlessness, knowledge and wisdom, Annamalai said he sees all these attributes in PM Modi and the BJP. He said he decided to join the BJP to strengthen the movement that the party stands for.
Known as ‘Singham’, a sobriquet for a tough cop, he had grabbed the headlines for his role in tackling the 2017 riots in Chikmagalur, Karnataka.
On the role he is expected to play in the party, the former cop said he would try to bring the “nationalist spirit to Tamil Nadu”.
Speaking on the occasion, BJP’s national general secretary P Murlaidhar Rao said, his joining holds the key amid a movement for strengthening the constitutional values in Tamil Nadu. “He expressed his desire to join the BJP to strengthen Modiji’s hands. He will be meeting party president JP Nadda and he will be an important asset for the party,” Rao said.
Annamalai’s decision to join the BJP comes as a shot in the arm for the party, which has been trying to establish its presence in Tamil Nadu that is slated to go to polls next year.
{{/usCountry}}Annamalai’s decision to join the BJP comes as a shot in the arm for the party, which has been trying to establish its presence in Tamil Nadu that is slated to go to polls next year.
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