Annamalai slaps Rs 1-cr defamation notice on DMK leader, damage money to be used for de-addiction centre in Kallakurichi

Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Wednesday slapped a defamation notice on DMK's Organisation Secretary RS Bharathi for allegedly "spreading slanderous and false propaganda" against him. Annamalai said "false propaganda" against him was being spread to "divert the attention from the misgovernance of the DMK, which led to the death of over 60 people in Kallakurichi".

"We have sought Rs 1 crore in damages, which will be used to construct and operate a de-addiction centre in Karunapuram, Kallakurichi," he said in a tweet.

In his notice, Annamalai's lawyer RC Paul Kanagaraj said that Bharathi in a press conference made "baseless scathing allegations against his client, unnecessarily blaming him for having hatched a conspiracy plan in said hooch tragedy". The notice said the allegations were meant to tarnish Annamalai's image.

"At the outset, my client was shocked to see that you alleged his political party is liable for the tragic deaths in the Kallakurichi hooch incident by making statements such as 'BJP is liable, they have done it'," the notice said. "My client states that you have recklessly blamed him for the tragic incident and made statements like 'It's Annamalai's planned conspiracy'. These disparaging remarks made by you publicly against my client are false, concocted, and incorrect."

In the defamation notice, Annamalai has asked the DMK leader to tender an unconditional apology within 3 days. "You are hereby called upon to pay Rs 1,00,00,000 as damages, which will be used to construct and operate a de-addiction centre in Karunapuram, Kallakurichi."

As many as 58 persons have died so far after consuming illicit arrack on June 19 in Kallakurichi, and several dozens of people are still under treatment in various hospitals.

Earlier this week, Annamalai met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi, seeking a CBI probe into the hooch tragedy. The BJP's firebrand leader claimed that 60 lives had been lost due to the tragedy and also urged Ravi to direct Chief Minister M K Stalin to drop his cabinet colleague S Muthusamy, who holds the Prohibition and Excise portfolio. He accused the ruling DMK of "not being so bothered" about the issue of "increased availability" of ganja and illicit arrack in the last three years and "this has led to a big suspicion."