Kamaraj, Annadurai, and the Assembly Apology

This scene from the legislative parliament shows Annadurai leading the opposition while Kamaraj is Chief Minister. There was a discussion on growing rates. Annadurai spoke for forty-five minutes, but his allotted fifteen minutes. Kamaraj let him go on, pointing with his eyes to everyone to keep quiet and not interrupt.

Annadurai said after his address, “Chief Minister Kamaraj won’t grasp the challenges encountered by families due to rising prices because he is a bachelor, a single man. Only someone who has run a house can appreciate the struggles families go through.”

Anandanayaki Ammaiyar, a legislative assembly member at the time, was enraged with Annadurai’s remarks on Kamaraj after his speech. She shot back, “Annadurai talks about the Chief Minister like this. This is the reason God has not blessed him with children: such speech.”

Hearing this, Kamaraj stormed to his quarters. He called Anandanayaki straight away to his room. When Kamaraj met her, she asked, “What untruth did Anna say? True indeed; I am a bachelor. But because of this, you—a woman—point out Annadurai has no children? That would harm him how much? Should his wife find out, how much will she suffer? Go right now and apologise to him! And Anandanayaki performed as instructed.