Ready to face legal action: Annamalai to RS Bharathi's legal notice

CHENNAI: State BJP president K Annamalai hit back at the ruling DMK party stating that he is ready to face legal action after DMK on Sunday issued a ₹500 cr legal notice against him and demanded an unconditional apology over his "defamatory" and "baseless" graft allegations against the party.

He took to his official Twitter handle and shared a four-page statement that read, "Earlier, DMK's organising secretary Mr. RS Bharathi filed a ₹500 cr legal notice for raising questions about CM Stalin's visit to Dubai. While the DMK has accumulated assets in crores, the organising secretary of the party is asking me for another 500 crore rupees."

"I would like to express my gratitude to him for watching the entire 15-minute video clipping released by the Tamil Nadu BJP under the name of 'DMK Files' and the subsequent press conference held by me as the State president of the Tamil Nadu BJP. Thank you for posting the link to the video and the website address in the legal notice you sent. I am also happy that the press conference held on April 14 helped the people of Tamil Nadu to know about the accumulation of assets by the DMK."

"In the legal notice issued by you, you have stated that the value of schools worth Rs 3478.18 crores and colleges and universities worth Rs 34,184.71 crores owned by DMK is false and further, you have mentioned that even if a person is a DMK member or an executive, the companies that are owned by him will not become the party's property. Does the DMK organizational secretary only has the right to say that on the one hand, it is not DMK property and on the other hand, the property details of DMK members provided are false?"

"Under the heading, DMK schools and colleges, details of DMK-owned schools, colleges, and universities were given in each town. For example, Sunshine Chennai Senior Secondary School run by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's daughter, Chennai Public School run by the relative of Lok Sabha MLA Kalanithi Veersamy, Jeeva Velu International School run by EV Velu, Arunai College of Engineering and Medical College run by EV Velu's wife are mentioned. All of them did not inform that they are handing over the education fees they collect to the DMK headquarters. RS Bharathi seems to be obfuscated in order to blame something,” he added.

"We have all the evidence in connection with the scam in the Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) project during the previous DMK regime. We will submit it to the CBI. Until your party leader and all those involved in this scam are summoned for an explanation, I request DMK organizational secretary to be patient. Not only that, RS Bharathi has expressed some contradictory views in his Tamil summary and in his English legal notice."

"In one, he said that no agreement has been signed with Noble Steels. On the other hand, he said that Udhayanidhi Stalin had nothing to do with the agreement with Noble Steels. Mr. Mohammed Basheer has been the director for Noble Promoters, Noble Bricks, and Noble Steels. Why is the DMK organizational secretary responding to the accusation leveled against Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin?"

"We would also like to convey a piece of additional information to Mr. RS Bharathi. M Mohamed Abdulla, a member of the DMK states along with Mr. Mohammed Basheer, was a director of Nobel Press and Power Limited, a company of the same Nobel Group. Yesterday, I raised a question on my Twitter page about the news of an MoU signed worth 1000 crore rupees with Noble Steels. On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I am raising the question once again that Noble Press and Power Limited, Noble Promoters, Noble Prix, and Noble Steels, are different companies of one group and the DMK-linked group Noble Steels has announced to invest in Tamil Nadu, the money belongs to whom? Will you answer this time?."

"The DMK Organizational secretary Mr. RS Bharathi, who met the press the day before yesterday, made baseless false accusations against me that I had received 84 crore bribe from Aarudhra private firm. I demand a compensation of Rs. 500 crores for publicizing baseless allegations against me and the BJP. I want to pay this to the PM CARES Fund."

"I saw a photo on social media where the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Mr. Stalin met the owners of Hijau Finance Company, who had defrauded 4400 crore rupees, on 19 May 2021 and received a donation of 25 lakh rupees for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. I question RS Bharathi whether I can allege that Mr. Stalin is directly involved in this financial fraud by receiving Rs.100 crores?"

"Within 48 hours, if you do not provide an explanation for the baseless allegation leveled against me and my party, I would like to inform you that legal action will be initiated against Mr. RS Bharathi with utmost diligence. Also, I am informing you that the reply to the legal notice sent by you and the legal notice seeking compensation for making baseless allegations will reach you soon,” he said.

On April 14, Annamalai released “DMK files” which are a series of allegations against the DMK government led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.