Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai today (7 August) shared a video clip of Public Works Minister EV Velu denouncing India, calling it as “some place in North India” and saying that the word ‘India’ never had any impact on Tamils.

“What is the state today? The word India never had any impact on us. When has India had impact among us? I’m making an open statement. There wasn’t any such impact on us. I’m talking about sometime ago. Where did we have an impact? There was no impact.

“India is some place in north India. We belong to Tamil Nadu. If possible we have to create a Dravida Nadu. Our thought process was going in that direction.”

Criticising Velu’s speech, Annamalai said, “DMK Minister Thiru EV Velu expressing what they stood for. This is the true face of parties in the I.N.D.I. Alliance. Once a separatist, always a separatist.”