Audio clip, allegedly of TN finance minister PTR, puts DMK in the dock

Known to be a key DMK strategist, Sabareesan is married to Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai.

Days before the 6 April, 2021, Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the Income Tax (I-T) Department searched his house at Neelangarai in Chennai.

“Both Udhayanidhi and Sabari realised that they made more money in one year than their grandparents did in their lives. And now it is getting to be a problem. How to handle it? How to not get caught? It’s all playing like… can’t really tell pretty close. Will say 30,000 crores,” the voice, purportedly of the finance minister, is heard saying in the clip.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai shared the audio’s English and Tamil transcriptions on Twitter.

In a conversation with a journalist, TN State Finance Minister reveals that TN CM’s son Udhayanidhi & Son in Law Sabareesan have accumulated ₹30,000 Crores in a year.

With every passing day, these substantiate the claims made by us in #DMKFiles pic.twitter.com/gzUvzgJMev

— K.Annamalai (மோடியின் குடும்பம்) (@annamalai_k) April 20, 2023

Annamalai tweeted that the alleged conversation between the finance minister and a journalist revealed Udhayanidhi and Sabareesan had “accumulated ₹30,000 crore” in a year.

“With every passing day, these substantiate the claims made by us in the DMK Files,” the BJP leader said.

Annamalai on 14 April released the first part of what he said were the “DMK Files”, apparently “exposing” the “corrupt government”. The DMK responded with a ₹500 crore defamation notice.

Also read: Annamalai releases ‘DMK Files’ as party calls it a joke

DMK minister vindicates charges: Whistleblower

Savukku Shankar, a whistleblower who shared the audio clip on his social media page, told South First that the conversation between PTR and the journalist was not private.

Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan presenting the TN Budget on 20 March. (Screengrab)

The minister was voicing his take on the current government, “which I and many others have been telling for the past two years”.

“If PTR’s words are not true, Stalin should not allow a person with such an opinion about his government to continue,” Shankar said.

“If they do not take any action and allow him to continue, it can either be construed that Stalin lacks the spine to pull up his colleagues, or whatever PTR has said is true,” he said.

Asked about sharing the audio, Shankar said he had been told that the DMK had been engaged in indiscriminate looting.

“This has been vindicated by the DMK’s finance minister. The minister says the loot in the first year could not be less than ₹30,000 crore. This is a serious allegation. So I must make this conversation public,” he said in justification of his action.

Also read: DMK, Annamalai in ₹500 crore defamation slugfest

PTR, DMK mum

PTR is yet to respond to the audio clip that has been doing the rounds of social media platforms since Wednesday afternoon.

Most DMK leaders South First contacted refused to comment. A few others, however, raised questions about the authenticity of the audio.

Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MLA SS Balaji’s wife MK Sharmila took to social media requesting PTR’s rebuttal to the allegations, which she said could damage the government’s and his credibility.

@ptrmadurai sir …waiting for your rebuttal … the ball is in your court … these allegations can cause serious damage to both your credibility and that of the government… https://t.co/VIex33BPX7

— Dr M K SHARMILA (@DrSharmila15) April 20, 2023