Overview
- While campaigning in western suburbs, K Annamalai said “Bombay is not a city of Maharashtra, it is an international city,” urging a BJP-led “triple engine” at Centre, state and BMC to manage a ₹75,000 crore civic budget.
- He stumped for BJP candidates in Malad West and Charkop, addressing wards 35, 47 and 19 ahead of the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
- Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called the remarks an insult tied to the Samyukta Maharashtra legacy and demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis file a case and have Annamalai arrested.
- NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and civil society voices insisted Mumbai is inseparable from Maharashtra, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said the city belongs to Marathi people and cautioned against such statements.
- Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the comment was being misconstrued and meant to underline Mumbai’s global importance, and no formal legal action had been reported as of January 11.