Annamalai challenges MK Stalin to sue him over ‘audio leak’ of PTR

Meanwhile, demanding to know the reason behind PTR being shifted from finance to the information technology department, the BJP leader condemned the move.

Addressing a press conference at Kamalalayam, the party headquarters, Annamalai pointed out the instances where Chief Minister Stalin praised PTR more than once for his work in the finance department.

The BJP leader said PTR had been the brand ambassador for the DMK’s Dravidian model of governance across the country, and shunting him out of the department in the wake of the leak of audio clips was “unacceptable”.

PTR a ‘scapegoat’?

“PTR did not do anything wrong. It’s the DMK First Family [a reference to Stalin and members of his family] and that did all that was wrong,” said Annamalai.

“Stalin filed a case against me using public prosecution. I dare him to file a case for the audio leak issue. If Stalin files a defamation for linking him with the Alstom bribery case, he should also file a case against me for saying that his family accumulated ₹30,000 crore illegally, as alleged in the audio tape,” Annamalai said.

Stating that the audio tape he had in his possession was of one-hour duration, Annamalai said: “The reason I did not release the third and fourth part of the clip is that I don’t want PTR to be made the scapegoat in the issue.”

He added: “If the chief minister thinks that making PTR a scapegoat and shunting him out of the finance department can run the government, it will be a daydream. PTR hasn’t done anything wrong. He just spoke about the persons who committed wrongdoings.”

Annamalai also said, “The tape should come to court. I will seek an independent court-monitored inquiry on the authenticity of the audio tape. I am ready to submit the whole tape to the court for forensic analysis.”

A day after Stalin effected a Cabinet reshuffle, the state BJP chief also alleged that TRB Rajaa (industries minister and son of senior DMK leader T R Baalu) had been inducted into the Council of Ministers to “propagate” the dynasty.

‘DMK Files 2’ in June?

Annamalai also said that he would be releasing a second part of the “DMK Files” in the first week of June, and a third part after that.

“This time, the ‘DMK Files’ will be on a new set of ministers. I will release the details of the wealth illegally accumulated by them. You can’t stop or threaten me by issuing defamation notices or filing cases,” he said.

On 14 April, Annamalai released “DMK Files”, allegedly detailing the assets of 27 DMK leaders, including Stalin, his son and minister in Tamil Nadu government Udhayanidhi Stalin, and his extended family, including Kalanithi and Dhayanidhi Maran.

The BJP leader also released an audio conversation, purportedly between PTR and another person, in which the former finance minister apparently remarked about the assets of DMK’s first family.

PTR subsequently distanced himself from the audio, rejecting the clips as “malicious and fabricated,” and insisted they were digitally altered.