KRISHNAGIRI: We The Leaders founder K Annamalai on Thursday clarified that his remarks that the manner in which BJP govt had handled the protests by CJP (Cockroach Janata Party) should not be construed as his support to the protesters.Addressing a women’s development conference organised by We the Leaders at Paiyanapalli near Krishnagiri, Annamalai said organisations, including BJP and DMK, had a democratic right to fight for people’s issues. “Attempts to suppress dissent would strengthen opposition voices,” he said, adding that authorities should proceed in accordance with the law if CJP students had committed any wrongdoing, rather than adopting a vindictive approach.Annamalai described Congress allegations of voter list irregularities after elections as a “political drama.” “Parties should participate actively in electoral roll revision exercises instead of raising objections after the electoral process has concluded,” he said.He sought strict action against people allegedly involved in creating unrest with foreign funding, saying intelligence and law-enforcement agencies should initiate legal proceedings where necessary.Earlier, Annamalai launched the Tharagai Women’s Self-Help Groups initiative under We the Leaders movement and distributed loan assistance to the tune of Rs 1.48 crore through govt and private banks to members of eight self-help groups.He announced that 25 more women’s self-help groups would be formed over the next six months. Although women constituted a majority of voters in the country, their representation in legislative and decision-making bodies remained low, he said.Annamalai claimed that Tamil Nadu had recorded negative growth in per-capita GST contributions compared with the previous year. He said this reflected a slowdown in income-generating industrial activity and warned that the state’s long-term economic position could be affected without corrective measures.
