"I stand by my words, Annamalai is a joker and good entertainer": DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 10 : Calling Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai a "joker and a good entertainer", DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran on Wednesday said that people need him as he provides good entertainment, adding that he stands by the remarks he made for Annamalai.
"He (Annamalai) keeps on changing his stance. First, he was against NEET. Now he supports NEET. He said not even a comma would be taken away from the farm bill, then the entire farm bill was taken away. He says that he doesn't know Hindi. Then he speaks fluent Hindi. He keeps on changing his colors like a chameleon. He behaves like a joker. So I stand by my words. He is a joker. We need people like him. He's a good entertainer. Please, Annamalai, continue," Maran told ANI.
He further said that the people of Tamil Nadu are with the DMK as they are fed up with BJP's "false promises and lies".
"They don't believe your lies. They are trying to divide the country based on caste, religion, and language. People are with DMK," he said.
Maran also alleged that Annamalai harassed a media person in Coimbatore recently.
"A recent incident occurred in Coimbatore when one of the news reporters' cars tried to overtake Annamalai's car. What did Annamalai do? How arrogant can a person be? He harassed him. Do you see any of the DMK people do that? We are foot soldiers. You might be an MP, you might be a councillor but you are expected to serve the people. We work with the people. We are with the people," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday came to the defence of Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai after "joker" jibe by DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran and said "insulting words" were used against the BJP leader.
He also said that the remarks reflected the character of the ruling party in the state and that "arrogance is against the great culture of Tamil Nadu".
Addressing an election rally in Mettupalayam in Coimbatore, the Prime Minister said those practising family politics stop young leaders from moving forward.
"DMK is a party that is immersed in the arrogance of power. When a senior leader of DMK was asked about our young leader Annamalai, he said in arrogance 'who is he, who is that' and used insulting words. This arrogance is against Tamil Nadu's great culture. The people of Tamil Nadu will never like this arrogance," PM Modi said.
"For a former police officer, for a youth coming from a backward class, for someone who works so much at the ground level, the words that have been used by DMK, these are its real character. Those who do family politics stop young leaders from moving forward," he added.
Earlier in an interview with India Today, Dayanidhi Maran, a former union minister, sought to dismiss the challenge posed by Annamalai in the Lok Sabha polls.
"Who's that? Oh, the joker, you are talking about the joker...Are you overestimating, he is a lame-duck," Maran said.
He was asked a question about the "fear of Annamali" and if he is the rising star of the BJP.
Annamalai is fighting the Lok Sabha polls from Coimbatore. DMK has fielded Ganapathy P Rajkumar against him.
Maran is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Chennai Central. All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 19 in Lok Sabha polls that will be held in seven phases. Votes will be counted on June 4. In 2019, the DMK-led alliance swept the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, winning 38 of 39 seats.