(Telephone rings) Shankar: Hello. Radia: Hi! Shankar: Hi! How are you? Radia: I am fine, sorry, I was... all over the place.
Shankar: Any news? Radia: No... I had a long chat with Kani last night... kuch kal raat ko toh kuch discuss nahi hua sirf Maran ne ek separate meeting kia tha... Karunanidhi ke saath, ke humlog ko abhi settle kar dena chahiye.(We didn't discuss much last night except that Maran had a separate meeting with Karunanidhi to settle everything.)
Radia: We shouldn't prolong it 'coz we are getting a bad name without realizing ki usne khud hi toh bad name dia hai (that he's given us the bad name himself).But I got feedback from Congress about 11'o clock last night which I gave Kani. I sent you an SMS also... I don't know whether you've got it because basically....
Shankar: No... I didn't get. Radia: What they're saying is we are not going to contact them initially they said they will contact Kani but they said they will have an internal discussion.
Radia: But they said they are not going to contact them we don't think the problem is ours... the problem is not between Congress and DMK, the problem is between DMK itself and therefore the family has to decide what they want and what they don't want -
Radia: - They made a laughing stock of the UPA as it is already and therefore the Prime Minister is quite cheesed off about the fact that you know...this is sort of...they made a quite a, um...fool of everyone.
Radia: The thing is that they gave a list of 5 MP's which was I mean... which was... 5 ministries and that was absurd they knew they were never gonna give them that and they were already aware of the sort of formulas that we were discussing.
Radia: So to say they were expecting much more than they had previously was a bit unfair on their part and just because they want more that doesn't mean... just so that they have to accommodate family members that doesn't mean we have to give them more ministry.
Radia: In the sense, we are not going to contact them because we don't think the problem lies with us the problem lies with them internally and they have to resolve it and come back. We have a great amount of respect for Karunanidhi but we don't feel that their approach has been quite honourable.
Radia: Woh karke unka ek message, Amit Patel ka message aur (there was a message from Amit Patel) I've given to Kani. Shankar: Hmm. Radia: I said if you're expecting anyone to contact then separately - indicated that Ghulam Nabi Azad told... his leadership... all of them... you know the... they had that meeting at 7 (inaudible).
Radia: That... this guy... Maran had been calling him on the half hour demanding X portfolios for himself which he then told him look I'm sorry but we have told your leader what we can give, please ask him to nominate somebody who can negotiate with us and they be preferable from somebody who's not out of the 5 that are the contenders.
Shankar: Other... other than the 5 contenders? Radia: Yeah. Shankar: Ok. Radia: Because there is no point... and then they finally told him that we dont recognise, we dont know whether you've been authorised to speak to us.
Radia: So we will speak to... whenever Mr Karunanidhi feels that he is up to it to speak to us let him speak to us directly. Shankar: Hmm. Radia: Ye uske paas message diya (This message was given to him)...
Radia: Aur (and) separately kya hua ki Sunil Mittal se meri baat hui kal usne toh ( when I spoke to Sunil Mittal last night)... anyway now that he is recognised they are not going to get more then Chemical, Fertilizers, Telecom and... Labour and the other MOS ministry... right?
Radia: So, what they are now saying is that we will now want... what Maran is now doing is... is going around telling everybody that Prime Minister doesn't want to give infrastructure to Balu and Raja. So that he ends up getting Telecom and IT.
Shankar: Correct. Radia: So...whether it is... then Times Now confirmed to DMK yesterday... somebody from DMK had called Times Now in Chennai - where was this information that was coming that Dayanidhi Maran to get Telecom. they then confirmed it came from Sun News.
Shankar: Ok. Radia: So... woh sab chal raha hai, toh phir Amma ne kal raat ko aur aaj subah...Chief Minister ko samjhaya hai ki yeh Congress ka message hai, Kani ko maine kal bola na ke (While all this was going on Amma explained to the Chief Minister that this is a message from Congress and I told Kani last NIght that) you have to tell your father this...
Radia: She was a bit hesitant in telling her father this but you cannot ignore it... you have to tell her. Shankar: Haan(Yeah) that, you have to inform. Radia: If you don't tell him who's gonna tell him this and if you think that he's going to think that I'm doing it for Dayanidhi Maran.
Radia: I said I am sorry you're going to have to tell him the truth! You cant keep him in the dark, you're doing injustice to everyone. Shankar: Hmm. Radia: I think she gonna do that and they're hoping that they'll have a settlement by the end of the day today or tomorrow.
Shankar: Nahi (no) but they've to first settle among themselves no? Radia: Basically dekho (see) Azhagiri ne already keh diya ki (have said) I do not want Maran. Stalin I believe yesterday has indicated the same thing... now. Shankar: Hmm.
Radia: Or we are going to polls in... I think they are going to what Panchayat polls or whatever koi cheez honewale hai (something is going to happen). Jo bhi local polls hote hai (whichever local polls take place)...they need Azhagiri for that,they cannot afford to upset that.
Shankar: Of course. Radia: Haan (Yeah)... so they are also saying that you can give him sensible MOS below him... and... Maran has gone on telling everybody that he doesn't speak English and that he's studied only upto five - 5th standard or something.
Shankar: Toh Azhagiri ko pata lag gaya ye! (So has Azhagiri figured this out? ) Radia: Haan usko pata lag gaya. (Yes he figured this out). Shankar: So he must be (inaudible).
Radia: Nahi. Usne toh already bata dia na... indication toh already de dia tha... do din pehle hi usne bol dia tha (No... she already told... she had already given him an indication and told him two days back) that I don't want this man.
Radia: Kyunki (because) he realised that...what he was doing...the thing is that we have to see now... Selvi lagi huyi hai thodi si apne father ke peeche (she is trying to persuade her father) but one good thing is that Karunanidhi has done is gone and stayed at Kani's house.
Radia: Coz I think he realised that he didn't want the pressure. Shankar: Selvi ka relation kya hai isse? (What's his relation to Selvi?) Radia: Selvi, Stalin ki behen hai. (Selvi is Stalin's sister).
Shankar: Selvi, Stalin ki behen toh hai (Selvi is Stalin's sister) but what is the relation between Maran ? Radia: She's always been close to him... uske husband ka relationship hai inke saath kaafi business main kaafi interest hai. (They share many business interests and her husband shares a good relation with him).
Shankar: Ok. Radia: She's always been the point person for him in the family. Shankar: Haan, haan (Yeah, yeah.) Radia: Ultimately... Shankar: I think Selvi's husband's brother's children are there no?
Shankar: Something has come in the newspapers today. Radia: Selvi's brother's...? Shankar: Selvi's husband... Radia: Selvi's husband...
Shankar: Uske husband ka - (Her husband's -) (inaudible) Radia: Acha acha acha... (Okay). Shankar: But yeh hai ki (it is that) Maran's father and Selvi's husband are brothers perhaps. Radia: Haan (Yeah) maybe.
Shankar: (inaudible). Radia: Maybe... maybe... ha inke...that's why... inke first cousins ke bich mein shaadi hui thi (they got married among their first cousins)... haan, haan, that's right...haan. So Maran is using his whole this thing to its fullest and...you know he's also telling everyone that Prime Minister wants only him.
Radia: Toh kal isne separate time manga Karunanidhi se (He asked Karunanidhi for some separate time) which he got but then uh, Kani's mother didn't leave the room. She insisted on sitting there and she sat there and heard everything, which was basically he couldn't talk then much no? He simply said, "don't delay this, let us settle this matter as soon as possible" type of thing. When he was the one who tried to delay it in the first place.
Shankar: Ha yeh( Yeah this)... Radia: Karunanidhi... Karunanidhi just heard it didnt say anything. I think he's recognised also ki yeh nahi hota toh mujhe yeh tension hi nahi hota (If he wasn't around, Karunanidhi wouldn't have anymore tension).
Shankar: Hoti nahi sahi baat hai (You're right it wouldn't have happened). Radia: Ab kitna yeh karega aaj pata nahi, isko aaj bhi koi meeting set toh nahi hai. (Who knows what he will do today as such he has no fixed meeting today).
Radia: Aise toh nahi hai ki koi/ meeting hai aur jo kal media keh raha tha ki meeting hui hai woh meeting nahi hai woh sab usko milne aaye the, leaders (There is no such meeting and as the media was saying that there was a meeting yesterday they had just come to meet him, the leaders).
Shankar: Nahi, meeting me hona kya hai woh toh family decide karegi kisko kya karna hai, baaki toh settle hi hai. (No, what is there to be done in a meeting the family has to decide who will do what the rest is settled). Radia: Hmm.
Shankar: Bhai (Brother, look) they can't officially say ki (that) he has to discuss it with his wife and daughter. Radia: Hmm. Shankar: He has to discuss with the party. (laughs) Radia: Correct, correct, correct.
Radia: What have you heard, anything? Shankar: No...nothing, I didn't speak to boss also. Radia: Aha! call him no and check ? Shankar: Karta hu shaam tak abhi toh kuch hua bhi nahi hai .(I'll give him call in the evening, nothing has happened as of now.
Radia: What was his view when he left yesterday? Shankar: He said ki (that) nothing has been finalised. I'll go tommorow and let us talk after that... but he's quite hopeful... ki (that) solution will be there. Radia: Solution kya hai isko Maran ko bahar rakhna hai aur kya hai solution (the only solution is to keep Maran out of this).
Shankar: Ha wohi... ultimately toh wohi hoga (Ultimately that ought to happen). Radia: Ha toh yeh Karunanidhi ne galat kar diya, woh unthought of list bhij va di na jo (Karunanidhi made a mistake by sending an unthought of list) Shankar: Ha wohi na (Yeah exactly).
Radia: Then I had to go back and tell Congress that was not the case, that list was just something that was sent, they were expecting you to come back and check which you could not expect... you didn't do it... you did it very... ( Audio unclear).
Shankar: Ha (yeah). Radia: There have been couple of rounds of discussion no? You should'nt have just been so abrupt about the whole thing. Shankar: Right, right, right. Radia: That's what and maybe...the party is feeling a little offended that they've been mistreated by Congress.
Shankar: Correct... correct. Radia: Woh toh unki sentiments aa aate hai na uske raste main (Their sentiments get in the way). Shankar: Ha... nahi woh toh hai ( That's true). Radia: Ha aur (yeah and ) separately maine suna Jayalalitha ne phone kia ki I don't want any ministry or anything you dismiss the government the Centre and i'll just support you.
Shankar: Ho sakta hai (It's possible) Radia: Huh! Shankar: Ho sakta hai (It's possible) Radia: Ha ... toh woh(Yeah...so she -)
Radia: He doesn't want any...anything at all at the Centre. Shankar: Nahi ho sakta hai usko toh one point programme hai na? (It's possible he has a one point program, isn't it?) Radia: Hmm... hmm...hmm.
Shankar: They have to get out. Radia: They have to be all... then they all have to be... that they will... whole thing will get dismissed na? Shankar: Ha (yeah) right that is there. Radia: Ha (yeah).
Shankar: - I think for Congress - Radia: - such a strong position na? Shankar: Stalin understands this thing na? Radia: Kaun? (who ? ) Shankar: Stalin must be understanding this thing.
Radia: Haan, (yeah) maybe he'll be...yeah. How many people have told him that, God knows, you know? Shankar: Hmm. Radia: Let us see. Shankar: Chalo (Okay) let us see... Let me know if anything confirmed or sort out (i)ho jata hai (if it gets sorted out)... toh mujhe bata dena (let me know).
Radia: I haven't called them more than I... there was required - I spoke to them in the morning then after that I left. Shankar: Shaam ko baat kar sakte hai abhi nahi hai jarurat (We can talk to them in the evening it's not needed right now).