TN Finance Minister refutes making remarks in ‘audio clip’ row

In a video statement uploaded on his Twitter page a day after Annamalai released an audio clip, claiming the voice in it was that of PTR, the DMK leader denied making any such comments and reiterated that advanced technology could be used to make such alleged manipulations.

He also shared purported videos of former US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and BJP leader Manoj Tiwari, saying they were digitally altered.

"If such authentic looking videos can be machine-generated, imagine what all can be done with audio files. I strongly and specifically deny having said to any individual, personally or on the phone at any point of time what is contained in the audio clip being circulated on the social media since yesterday, the source of which nobody accepts ownership for," he said.

"The state president of the BJP has descended to posting an audio of somebody telling nobody about some others," Rajan added.

Annamalai had last week released an audio clip, purported to be that of Rajan making some comments about the assets of the DMK's first family, which PTR had dismissed as 'fabricated.' Saying that the latest statement was a "continuation" to the one issued last week in response to the first audio clip, the DMK leader said under the leadership of CM Stalin, the party has delivered record-breaking, innovative and compassionate administration since 2021, what he described as the "Dravidian model of governance." "To achieve these lofty goals we have brought in major financial reforms and we have achieved within 2 years what has not been attempted in the past decade." The indicators were better than those of the Union government as well.

"Certain forces are unable to digest these achievements, so they are indulging in using advanced technologies and cheap tactics such as releasing these fabricated audios to disrupt our good work," he alleged.

Stalin is not only the "guiding light" of TN but the "hope" of the country.

"Udhayanidhi is our hope for the next generation and has received great reception from the Tamil people. Of the many who urged his elevation to the state cabinet based on his appeal as a youth icon, I was among the foremost," Rajan said.

"His outstanding performance as a minister has surpassed all our expectations. He is also a hands-on and grassroots administrator," like his father Stalin, PTR said.

"Similarly, all the ministers in our Dravidian model government have been working as a cohesive team to achieve these spectacular results. Why would I ever say anything negative about any of them," he said.

He described Sabareesan as his "most trusted advisor, guide and pillar of support." "Even opposition parties have not laid accusations against Udhayanidhi and Sabareesan. Therefore such fabricated audios are being generated in a vain attempt to cast aspersions on them. There is a desperate attempt by a blackmail gang to achieve their political ambitions by creating a rift within us. Such cowardly attempts will never succeed," Rajan asserted.

From the inception of the DMK, "all of us have lived together as one movement, one party and one extended family and we will always continue to do so," he said.