Chennai: Stung by the DMK Files released by BJP state president K Annamalai, the DMK government has retaliated with a libel suit, the first ever by Chief Minister MK Stalin in the last two years in office.
The City Public Prosecutor on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Principal District and Sessions Judge, under section 199 (2) of the CrPC read with section 500 of the IPC, for the offence committed against the Chief Minister in respect of his conduct in the discharge of his public functions.
This comes in the wake of the 'DMK Files,” a short video released by Annamalai on April 14, accusing the Chief Minister, his son, and Sports Minister Udhayanidhi, son-in-law, Sabareesan, co-sister and MP, Kanimozhi, and veterans of the ruling party have amassed enormous assets disproportionate to their known sources of income through corruption. He also addressed the media, directly charging Stalin and demanding an explanation.
What followed was a slew of legal notices from the DMK, Udhayanidhi, TR Baalu, Kanimozhi, and others with a counter to each of them from Annamalai. Now, Stalin has chosen to drag the saffron enfant terrible to the court.
The eight-page complaint dismissed as baseless Annamalai's allegations of money laundering in the Rs 1000 cr MoU with Noble Steels signed during the visit of Stalin to Dubai and the Rs 200 cr bribe by Alstom for the award of tender for the Chennai Metro Rail, rerouted for 2011 election expenditure for the DMK through two shell companies in Singapore and Hong Kong.
“The allegations are false and made with an intention to harm the reputation of the CM. It has caused considerable harm to the reputation of the CM. The BJP and other opposition parties could not digest the love showered on him by the people. The accused is having political ill will to defame. He has created a website enmnnenmakkal (dot) com containing the defamatory video and material,” read the complaint.
Enclosing the entire transcript of the speech and the defamatory accusations, the City Public Prosecutor said it was an offence against the State, causing immutable injury to the Chief Minister as the accused has made a direct charge. They clearly relate to the discharge of the Chief Minister in his public duty also when he was Deputy CM earlier, he said. Submitting that the state government had accorded sanction through a GO dated May 6, he prayed for punishment under sections 499 and 500 of IPC.
It might be recalled, it was late Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa who had filed more than 100 defamation cases against political opponents and journalists during her first term in office (1991-96).
Also read: Stalin dubs PTR audios as cheap politics; anti-Muslim reservation remark shows grudge on minorities
