DMK Files: Udhayanidhi demands Rs 50 crore from Annamalai for defamation

Stung by the 'DMK files', a short video listing corruption charges against him and other DMK bigwigs, Chief Minister MK Stalin's son and Tamil Nadu Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin has sent a legal notice to BJP state president K Annamalai seeking an unconditional apology and Rs 50 cr for damages or face a libel suit.

Chennai:Close on the heels of the ruling DMK's legal notice to BJP state president K Annamalai demanding Rs 500 crore in damages for the 'DMK Files', the Dravidian major's Gen-Next face and Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Udhayanidhi Stalin had followed suit with one seeking Rs 50 crore for defamation.

Terming the allegations of graft made against Udhayanidhi as baseless, which is tantamount to reckless disregard for truth, the notice said the intention was only to defame and tarnish his 'impeccable' reputation. Firstly, it took exception to dragging Udhayanidhi's two minor children, including his minor daughter, who are not in public life, violating the right to privacy.

Including his minor daughter's name in the said video clipping for political gain violates the right of his minor daughter whose rights are protected under Articles 8, 16 & 37 of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child, ratified by India, it was pointed out adding that appropriate legal measures will be initiated before the Commission for Protection of Child Rights besides others.

On the assets and wealth of Udhayanidhi, also the DMK Youth Wing secretary, it says his assets declared in the affidavit filed for the 2021 assembly poll were worth Rs 29 crore. But, the valuation of 'Red Giant movies' has been shown as Rs 2,010 crores and the Minister's current wealth as Rs 2,039 crore which is per se false and concocted, it was pointed out.

“...since he has resigned from the partnership firm 'Red Giant movies', projecting the assets of the firm as his assets is false, baseless, motivated and done only to defame... Secondly, M/s Red Giant movies is nowhere close to that inflated, imaginary figure of Rs 2,010 crores. When our client was a partner in the firm, the value of the firm was around Rs 30 crores. Our client categorically denies your allegation that the movies produced by the firm did not do well commercially and that dubious investments were made into the firm,” read the notice.

The firm has been in existence for 16 years and its reputation and value were built on the 'business acumen and hard work put in by Udhayanidhi and had performed well even during the AIADMK rule between 2011 and 2021, it said trashing Annamalai's claim as scandalous.

Then, refuting the charge linking Udhayanidhi with the firm Noble Steels of Dubai, which had signed an MoU to invest Rs 1000 crore during Chief Minister Stalin's Dubai visit, the notice countered that the DMK scion had exited Noble Promoters Pvt Ltd. in 2010 itself. This being the case, “how can you show an RoC filing that shows him as Director in a company called 'Noble Promoters Private Limited' and in the same breathe call as Director of “Noble Steels”... since you say you are an ex-IPS officer, one cannot attribute the inability to distinguish between the names of these two companies to ignorance... you have made deliberate, wilfully false statements with malafide intention,” it read.

The notice then asked the saffron leader to tender an unconditional apology and publish the same in leading national English and Tamil dailies and TV channels as well as on social media, remove the online links of DMK Files and his press conference besides paying damages to the tune of Rs 50 crore which would be paid into the Tamil Nadu CM's Relief Fund. It warned that if these are not complied within 48 hours, appropriate civil and criminal proceedings will be initiated.

Earlier, DMK organisational secretary RS Bharathi too had sent a legal notice demanding Rs 500 crore for damages and Annamalai has hit back seeking Rs 500 cr plus One Rupee. Hitting back, Annamalai countered with a demand for Rs 500 cre plus One Rupee for damages, which he would put into the PM-CARES fund. He had released the DMK files on April 14, Tamil New Year Day.