Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K. Annamalai on Tuesday, April 16, criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for jumping over a median during his unscheduled stop at a sweet shop in Singallur, Coimbatore, last week. Rahul Gandhi, who was on his way to address a rally in Coimbatore on April 12 organised by the DMK-led alliance, had made a sudden stop by stepping out of his vehicle to purchase sweets for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin by crossing a roadblock. During his interaction with the press, Annamalai said, "It's a clear traffic violation. If it's Annamalai, the Coimbatore Police department and the DMK will raise questions. What Rahul Gandhi did was a clear traffic violation. A zebra crossing is put up for that purpose for the general public." 

Annamalai further stated, "When a senior political leader like Rahul Gandhi who has high security, does such a thing, what message does it send to the youth? On one hand, we're advising youngsters to wear helmets and not do any wheeling or rash driving on their vehicles. On the other hand, when there's a clear violation of traffic rules by jumping over a barricade, Stalin is celebrating that." He added, "The people in the Coimbatore constituency are questioning whether justice differs for Annamalai and Rahul Gandhi. Appropriate action needs to be taken against him by the police. Be as it may, whether it's an elder or a youngster, there will be respect for the law among everyone when they adhere to the rules." 

Annamalai is fielded by the BJP in the Coimbatore constituency in the upcoming 2024 Indian general election where he will be contesting against DMK's Ganapathi Rajkumar, who is representing the Opposition-led INDIA bloc. The voting for the 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu is scheduled to place in a single phase on April 19.