BJP leader and former Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai appeared before the Saidapet court in Chennai on 17 July 2025 in connection with a suit filed against him by senior DMK leader and Member of Parliament T.R. Baalu.
However, Baalu himself was absent from the hearing, prompting sharp criticism from Annamalai.
The case stems from a press conference held in 2023, where Annamalai released a list of assets allegedly belonging to DMK leaders, including Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and made a series of corruption allegations under the banner of ” The accusations drew immediate backlash from the ruling DMK, with RS Bharathi issuing a legal notice to Annamalai seeking ₹500 crore in damages for defamation.
Subsequently, DMK Parliamentary Party leader and Treasurer T.R. Baalu filed a separate defamation suit seeking ₹100 crore in compensation, accusing Annamalai of making “baseless allegations” to damage his reputation.
With the matter coming up for hearing at the Saidapet court today, Annamalai was present in person, but T.R. Baalu was not.
Taking to social media after the court appearance, Annamalai criticized Baalu for skipping the hearing. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Assoonasitwasreleased,claimingthatnon-existenthonorwaslost,Mr.T.R.BaaluoftheDMKfiledadefamationcase,andIappearedintheSaidapetcourttoday.However,asusual,Mr.T.R.Baaludidnotappeartoday.Despiteallthis,itwashewhohadspecificallyrequestedthisdate.Whenrunningaliquorfactoryandstrikingatthelivelihoodsoffarmers,hishonordidnotvanish;whenthethenPrimeMinisterstatedthatnomatterwhoelsewasgivenaposition,hewouldnotbemadeaUnionMinisteragain,hishonordidnotvanish;butdiditvanishassoonas#DMKFileswasreleased?Itseemsthatbecausehisconscienceisquestioninghim,Mr.T.R.Baaluisavoidingappearinginthedefamationcasehehimselffiled.”
The hearing was adjourned and is expected to be taken up on the next scheduled date. There has been no official response from TR Baalu or the DMK regarding his absence.