K Annamalai and M K Stalin
The ruling DMK has sent a legal notice to Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai demanding an apology and a compensation of Rs 500 crores for ‘defaming Chief Minister M K Stalin, his family members, cabinet colleagues and party leaders.
The 10-page notice dated April 15, issued on behalf of DMK Organisation Secretary R S Bharathi, said Annamalai’s allegations “In a video clipping titled “DMK Files”, which runs about 15 minutes and targeted at Stalin and other party leaders were “false, baseless, defamatory, imaginary and scandalous.” Referring to Annamalai’s “Rs 200 crore” graft charge against Stalin, the notice issued through senior advocate and MP P Wilson on April 16 said “, the DMK President has not received a single paise as illegal gratification from any person throughout his 56 years of public life.” Besides demanding an unconditional, public apology from Annamalai on behalf of Stalin, Bharathi wanted “offending” videos containing the allegations removed from the social media and a website.
The notice was issued two days after Annamalai levelled corruption charges against Stalin, his son Udhayanidhi, son-in-law Sabreesan and a few leaders. Bharathi said the name “DMK files” was false, defamatory, imaginary and scandalous and demanded Annamalai tender an unconditional apology. Bharathi said, “You (Annamalai) must understand the basic difference between the assets of an individual and the assets of a political party. The notice also quoted from a recent media investigation, according to which the BJP had secured Rs 5,270 crore out of Rs 9,208 crore donated through electoral bonds sold between 2018 and 2022. “The source of these funds and the names of the corporate entities who donated these funds have not been disclosed to the public. Can anyone presume that every rupee of these donations and expenditures is an ill-gotten wealth of the BJP?”
He said Annamalai had levelled ‘concocted, mischievous and motivated ‘charges of graft against Stalin without any evidence. Bharathi said that DMK had not received a single paise as illegal gratification from any person in his 56 years of public life.
RS Bharathi has denied any amount paid to Stalin for awarding a contract for the execution of the phase I metro rail project in Chennai to a particular company. Also, charges against Udhayanidhi Stalin, Bharathi said, were baseless. “our client (Udhayanidhi Stalin) was not a director of any company called Nobel Steel as alleged by you”. He said Annamalai had constantly been attempting to defame the DMK president and other leaders as BJP was unable to make a mark electorally in the state. He demanded that Annamalai should tender an unconditional apology, remove the video of the press conference on the BJP’s social media and on www.enmannenmakkal.com and pay damages of Rs.500 crore to Stalin within 48 hours after receipt of the notice.
Reacting to the notice, Annamalai said on the 17th, “I am ready to face legal actions. I seek a similar amount from the ruling party for making certain “baseless” allegations against me”. In a statement titled “I am ready for legal action,” uploaded on his Twitter page, Annamalai also claimed there was ‘proof’ for alleged corruption in the Metro rail project in the earlier DMK regime and said, “We are going to submit them to the CBI.”
Taking a swipe at DMK Organisation Secretary R S Bharathi, who had issued the legal notice, Annamalai asked him to “remain patient till (CBI) summons are issued to your party president and others involved” in the issue.
Annamalai made a direct allegation at Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, claiming that he has taken Rs 200 crores from an Indo-European company. He said, “I am going to give it (the evidence) to the CBI. In 2011, the election funding came. A complaint will be filed, and an investigation should be conducted,” he said. He further alleged that DMK is becoming a money laundering company and that all the corrupt activities going on inside the party will be exposed to him. We have released DMK files, Part 1. It’s going to be a series throughout the year. It’s just the first family of the DMK that we have disclosed that has direct assets, their shareholdings in a company, and the valuations. We haven’t gone beyond it”.
Annamalai, referring to Bharathi’s allegations of him receiving illegal gratification from a finance company accused of duping investors, called it a “baseless, false” accusation. “I demand Rs 500 crore as damages for making baseless allegations against me and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the public domain. I wish to pay the sum to the PM CARES fund,” Annamalai added. He said he would soon respond to DMK’s legal notice, besides sending one demanding damages for making “baseless” charges against him.
Annamalai, in a series of tweets on April 14, released the bill for the watch he wears, along with his bank, credit card and education loan statement, along with the disproportionate wealth accumulated by the DMK, to the public. The details are available at https://enmannenmakkal.com.
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