Chennai: BJP state president K. Annamalai released a second audio clip of Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan (PTR) Tuesday in which he purportedly speaks about “money management” in the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
The finance minister goes on to praise the ‘one man, one post’ policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to the 57-second clip released by the opposition party.
Annamalai had released PTR’s purported audio tape on Twitter a few days ago, claiming that the minister made “revelation” about the assets of DMK president and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi and son-in-law V. Sabareesan. PTR had dismissed the audio clip as “fabricated”.
“I have been a long time proponent of one man, one post from the day I entered politics…The party. It is what I like about the BJP. Who looks after the party, who looks after the people separate…right?” the second clip purportedly says.
“Here (in DMK) every (beep) decision has to be made by MLAs and Ministers…. who looks after the party, who looks after the people…Ohh..it’s easier to do money management…it is not a system… they (DMK MLAs and ministers) are taking the bulk of the spoils…,” it adds.
In a tweet along with the audio clip, Annamalai thanked PTR for “drawing a proper distinction between the DMK and the BJP” and tagged the finance minister.
Listen to the DMK ecosystem crumbling from within. The 2nd tape of TN State FM Thiru @ptrmadurai.
Special Thanks to TN FM for drawing a proper distinction between DMK & BJP! #DMKFiles pic.twitter.com/FUEht61RVa
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) April 25, 2023
ThePrint reached out to PTR via call and text but has not received a response till the time of publishing of this report.
On Saturday Thiagarajan had called the first audio which was widely shared by the BJP as “fabricated”.
“Whatever I am, and whatever I have done in public life is because of my leader, DMK president and Honourable Chief Minister M.K. Stalin,” the DMK minister wrote in a two-page statement that he posted on his Twitter handle.
“We should not be surprised to see more audio and even video clips in the coming days and months with ever-more malicious content.”
‘If I put my papers’
In the second audio, PTR purportedly says that he had seen the DMK first family controlling the party, and the MLAs and Ministers all are involved in the party and government. “So, I decided after watching this for 8 months…This is not a sustainable model…”
“The great luxury for me if I put my papers in….In the short term I get out before the shit starts blowing up in their face…,” the finance minister purportedly says.
The DMK leaders whom ThePrint spoke to refused to come out publicly with a statement. “The whole issue is a diversionary tactic used by the BJP. There are a lot of issues between the AIADMK and the BJP, besides internal power struggles and rifts within the BJP. To divert attention, this is being done,” a DMK leader said.
On 14 April, Annamalai had released ‘DMK Files’ alleging that the asset worth of about 13 DMK leaders, including Stalin, Udhayanidhi, Sabareesan, Kanimozhi and Kalanithi Maran. was Rs 1.34 lakh crore.
Just days later, the BJP state president released the first audio clip in which PTR purportedly says that Udhayanidhi and Sabareesan had trouble in handling money that they had accumulated in one year.
(Edited by Tony Rai)