Chennai, Jan 27: The presentation of the Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award 2024 to Mohammed Zubair, co-founder of Alt News, by the DMK government drew sharp criticism from BJP State President K Annamalai. Hours after the award ceremony, Annamalai expressed his disapproval, labeling Zubair as a “biased manipulator” and asserting that honoring him is an insult to past recipients of the award.
In a social media post, Annamalai accused the DMK government of consistently hitting new lows and described the decision to award Zubair on Republic Day as a disregard for the legacy of the Communal Harmony Award. He suggested that Zubair be placed in the category of “Creating Social Disharmony” based on his perceived track record.
The BJP leader did not mince his words in criticizing the ruling DMK, citing their alleged tendency to downplay serious incidents. Annamalai remarked, “DMKās choice doesnāt surprise us, as they continue to call a suicide bombing a cylinder blast, and they have developed a new liking for ‘half-truth peddlers’ under the disguise of fact-checkers.”
Questioning the utilization of taxpayers’ money, Annamalai raised concerns about the government’s priorities. He suggested that despite taxpayer funds being expended, the DMK government may not be sufficiently accountable.