On Wednesday, May 10, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) supremo MK Stalin filed a defamation lawsuit against Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai after the BJP leader released the “DMK Files” alleging corruption by the Tamil Nadu CM, his family members, and several DMK leaders. The petition was filed by City Public Prosecutor G Devarajan on behalf of MK Stalin.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin files a defamation case against State BJP president K Annamalai. This is in connection with the "DMK Files" released by the latter and press conferences held by him in this regard.
— ANI (@ANI) May 10, 2023
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/8aXEyBV6Ju
The petitioner argued in the plea filed before the Madras High Court’s first bench that the “files” released by Annamalai to the press on April 14 are baseless and devoid of any valid proof. The petition further claimed that Annamalai’s accusations about Stalin were defamatory in nature and have tarnished the image of the Tamil Nadu CM.
DMK FILES EXPLODES IN TAMIL NADU#TamilNadu CM #MKStalin files defamation case against Tamil Nadu BJP Chief #Annamalai.@dharannniii reports pic.twitter.com/WpUQa862w1
— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) May 10, 2023
While others, including Udhayanidhi Stalin, Kanimozhi MP, TR Baalu, and RS Bharathi, had sent legal notices to Annamalai and demanded an unconditional apology, CM Stalin has reportedly filed a case under Section 199 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr PC) before the Principal Session Judge in Chennai Egmore court.
The DMK Files
On April 14, 2023, K Annamalai, the President of the BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit disclosed a series of papers titled ‘DMK Files’ on alleged corruption within the DMK government.
The DMK leaders’ assets were “worth Rs 1.34 lakh crore,” according to calculations and estimates made by the BJP leader. Annamalai stated at a press conference on 14th April, “DMK files will not end with a single part; every party that ruled the state will be disclosed before 2024.” If I am going to expose corruption, I will have to expose everyone’s corruption.”
The state BJP leader had accused DMK leaders Jagatratchagan, E V Velu, K N Nehru, Kanimozhi, Kalanidhi Maran, T R Baalu, Kalanithi Veerasamy, Duraimurugan, Kathir Anand, Arcot Veersamy, Kalanithi Veerasamy, and K Ponmudy, among others, of asset irregularities.
Annamalai had also expressed concern about the funding of Minister and MK Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Red Giant Movies, ties between M K Stalin’s son-in-law Sabareesan and George’s Bank director Srinivas Venkatesh in England, and an agreement Stalin signed with the Noble group of companies, where ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi were allegedly once directors. Additionally, Annamalai implicated CM Stalin with corruption in relation to the Metro Phase 1 contract, which took place between 2006 and 2011 during the DMK government.
