On Thursday, the Tamil Nadu police arrested K. Annamalai, former state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with other party workers, during a protest against the dumping of waste from Tiruppur city in Chinnakalipalayam village. The BJP has strongly condemned the arrest, calling it "condemnable".

The BJP claims that the Stalin government's action was prompted by the party's support and participation in protests with local residents against the decision to dump waste from Tiruppur city in Chinnakalipalayam village. The state BJP unit expressed its outrage on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Annamalai's arrest, while he was supporting the villagers' protest, was strongly condemnable.

The issue stems from the residents of five villages protesting against the dumping of waste from Tiruppur city in Chinnakalipalayam village. The Tamil Nadu Farmers' Protection Association had previously announced plans to block garbage-laden lorries, demanding compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directive to remove garbage dumped without the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's approval. In December 2024, two environmental activists were detained for attempting to block vehicles transporting garbage to abandoned stone quarries in Tiruppur.

Annamalai, a prominent critic of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has been vocal against alleged corruption and misuse of funds by the state government. Recently, Annamalai and other BJP leaders were arrested ahead of a planned protest against alleged ₹1,000 crore irregularities in the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC). The BJP has consistently accused the DMK of misusing TASMAC revenues for political gains.

In March 2025, Annamalai was detained by Chennai police while en route to a protest against alleged irregularities in TASMAC. Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan was also taken into custody from her residence. Following the arrests, Annamalai condemned the police action, questioning the government's response. He has also called for the resignation of Minister Senthil Balaji, who faces allegations of corruption exceeding Rs 1,000 crore.

The current arrest of Annamalai and BJP workers adds to the ongoing political tensions between the BJP and DMK in Tamil Nadu. The BJP views the arrest as a suppression of democratic dissent, while the DMK defends the action by stating that the BJP did not have permission to protest. The situation remains tense as both parties continue to clash over various issues, including corruption allegations and the handling of waste management in the state.