A day after Tamil Nadu BJP Chief K Annamalai released what he calls the 'DMK Files' that contained details of properties owned by DMK first family members, Ministers, MLAs and MPs, DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharati has sent a legal notice. The notice to Annamalai demands Rs.500 crores as damages for defaming the party and its leaders. The notice also demands that Annamalai should offer an apology for his claims and that he should delete the video from all his social media accounts, failing to do any of that within 48 hours of receiving the notice will invite civil or criminal procedures, the notice says.
Terming the allegations levelled by Annamalai as false and malicious, the notice also adds, “The allegations that are wrongful, lacking proof, demeaning, imaginary are in a 15-minute video titled DMK Files”. It said that Annamalai has “exaggerated the worth of some assets belonging to the DMK, included other assets that are not related to the party and made the false allegation that the party has 1408.94 crores worth of assets.”
Responding to the allegations made by Annamalai on schools and colleges owned by DMK, the notice says, “All documents regarding the assets and loans of the DMK have been submitted to the Income Tax Department and other relevant authorities. If we had hidden details regarding any assets they would have taken action. It is a lie that the schools belonging to the DMK are worth 3474.18 crores and that colleges and universities are worth 34, 184.71 crores.”
The DMK has also questioned the BJP over funds received by the party via electoral bonds, “According to recent studies in the media from March 2018 t0 2022 that the entire worth of electoral bonds received by political parties is worth 9,208 crore rupees. Of that 5,270 crores has gone to the BJP. Can you say that all of this was received in a legal manner?”
The notice also goes on to say that, “The wealth or institutions owned by a member or leader of the party in an individual capacity will not belong to the party. You are unable to understand the difference between assets owned by an individual and the party. To explain the difference our party members have put forward an example. You often say that you have 3 or 4 goats, now can those goats also be considered the assets of the BJP? Can your Rafael watch be considered an asset of the BJP?”
The notice also refers to the other allegations made by Annamalai in his DMK Files. “You have claimed without any proof that MK Stalin, when he was a minister between 2006 to 2011, he had received 200 crore rupees in order to award the contract to a particular company for the first phase of Chennai Metro Rail project,” the notice says going on to add that, “The AIADMK [All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam] that formed the next government continued the same project. The project was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu, then chief minister Jayalalithaa. Further, the expansion of the project was inaugurated by then chief minister K Edappadi Palanisami and Prime Minister Modi. The contract for the second phase of the metro rail project has been awarded to the very same company. Does this mean that you are saying that your ally, the AIADMK and the Prime Minister have taken part in the corruption?”
RS Bharathi has demanded the removal of the video posted by Annamalai from his social media feed and a public apology without 48 hours of receiving the legal notice, failing which the DMK will take civil and criminal action against him.
On April 14, Annamalai released what he called the ‘DMK files’, accusing many top leaders of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of owning questionable assets. He also levelled corruption charges against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. Annamalai claimed that the assets listed in part one of the ‘DMK files’, purportedly worth Rs 1.34 lakh crore, are owned by 12 individuals including Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin (who is a minister himself), his son-in-law Sabareesan, and sister MP Kanimozhi; state ministers EV Velu and KN Nehru; and MPs TR Baalu, Kathir Anand, and Kalanidhi Veerasamy.