Former state BJP president K. Annamalai has strongly criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's recent visit to London. Describing the United Kingdom (UK) as a 'dead economy', he suggested that the government should focus on attracting investments from within the state and not from abroad.

Speaking to the media in Madurai, Annamalai reminded that the current Indian economy is worth around $4.1 trillion, while the UK's economy is only $3.4 trillion. What is the point of going with a large delegation to a country that is growing slowly at a rate of just 1 percent, he questioned. He opined that even if investments come from there, they will come from subsidiaries of Indian companies already operating there and there will be no new foreign capital.

Instead of foreign visits, Annamalai advised the Chief Minister to visit industrial hubs in the state like Coimbatore, Madurai and Thoothukudi. He asked for incentives like tax exemptions to meet local businessmen and expand their businesses. He also said that there are opportunities to attract investments from major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

Annamalai's comments take on significance in the wake of the Tamil Nadu government's announcement that the state received investments worth around Rs 15,000 crore and over 10,000 jobs during CM Vijay's six-day UK visit. While saying that the newly elected government should be given some time to work, he advised it to focus more on the development of local industries.