Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai was arrested a short while ago, along with several other party members, ahead of a planned protest against alleged financial irregularities at the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC).

The arrests occurred as Annamalai was intercepted by police approximately 1 kilometer from his residence in Akkarai while heading to the protest venue. The Tamil Nadu BJP had organized the demonstration outside the TASMAC head office in Egmore, Chennai, in response to claims of a ₹1,000-crore scandal, following recent searches by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) at TASMAC headquarters.

Other prominent BJP figures, including Tamilisai Soundararajan, MLAs Vanathi Srinivasan (national president of BJP Mahila Morcha) and Saraswathi, were also detained by the Police and taken into custoday.

Additionally, police took BJP functionaries and cadres into custody at multiple locations, including Rajarathinam Stadium (where they had gathered to march to the TASMAC office in the CMDA building), T Nagar (where functionary Vinoj P. Selvam was arrested), and Taramani (where a group of party workers was detained).

Annamalai condemned the arrests, accusing the ruling DMK government of stifling democratic dissent. In a statement on his social media, he remarked, “Is it because we declared the protest democratically and announced the date in advance that you (government) are able to engage in such cowardly actions? What can you do if we suddenly launch a protest one day, without announcing a date?” His statement reflects frustration with what he perceives as preemptive suppression by the state government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.