- MM n Barkha -20090709-161411
Broadway has transcribed this tape in a comment below. Please crosscheck.
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Reading Radia 
Barkha: Hi niira
Niira: Barkha, ek second huh, manoj (inaudible)
Barkha: Ya ya ya
Manoj: Barkha sorry i didnt say hi to you while i was going. This parimal was remembering you yesterday night
Barkha: Oh, he once saved my life once on a plane. You please say hello to him from me. And very nice to meet you manoj. Kabhi appke paas fursat hoga then we should meet aaraam se without the crowd
Manoj: Ya ya we’ll meet but parimal is my cousin brother. I have brought parimal to reliance
Barkha: Really, i didn’t know that. You please give him my regards. Tell him i was remembering him. Aur aap kabhi delhi aaye tho fursat mai agar… not that you have any such thing as fursat but if ever you…
Manoj: Just so that you know, i never come to delhi only for this purpose i have come
Barkha: Nahi, it was very helpful manoj. It was really very helpful. But then maybe mai aapke site…
(audio ends abruptly)
There are 5 other conversation tapes between barkha and radia. I couldn’t find those entries on this site. The tapes and the transcripts were posted on open mag site but the transcripts were not made properly. The starts and sometimes, the ends were left out. I listened to all the 5 tapes and made the transcripts from scratch. Im posting them here. You can move these comments where it is required.
*Tape 1*
BARKHA: Hi nira
RADIA: Hi, did I wake you up?
BARKHA: No, no, no. I’ve been up, ya, most of the night. The stalemate continues, yaa.
RADIA: Yeah. Listen, the thing is that they need to talk to him directly. That is what the problem is.
BARKHA: Apparently now, the message from the other side is, that why did he go? Why did ballu go public? They claim that at this point will they had offered him this formula and this guys said, “no”. This guys never told them they were going to withdraw support. Not withdraw support. But outside support. Apparently, PM was really pissed off cause they had went public.
RADIA: But that’s Baalu’s doing, naa… he was not instructed by Karunanidhi to do that.
BARKHA: Oh, he wasn’t?
RADIA: This is not. He was told to come away and tell Congress that.
BARKHA: And he went public
RADIA: Well, the media… media, the media was standing outside.
BARKHA: Oh God. So now what? What should I tell them? Tell me what should I tell them?
RADIA: I’ll tell you what it is—the problem and I have had a long chat with both his wife and with the daughter right
BARKHA: Haan, haan.
RADIA: The problem is if the Congress has a problem with Baalu, if they have no problem with anyone. They need and go talk to Karunanidhi. They have very good relationship with Karunanidhi directly.
BARKHA: Correct, haan.
RADIA: Because you see, in front of Baalu, in front of Maran, they can’t talk.
BARKHA: Yeah
RADIA: So they have to tell him directly, there [are] enough Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu. They need to go in and tell him exactly—the biggest problem is that the following of Alagiri is saying that you cannot give maran a cabinet post and keep Alagiri in the MoS state.
BARKHA: That’s right. But will Karuna drop Baalu?
RADIA: He… look, if you tell him that Baalu is the only problem. I would imagine, he will drop him.
BARKHA: But you see the problem right now is also over the choice of portfolios, naa…
RADIA: No. They’ve not said anything. The portfolios have not even got discussed.
BARKHA: Congress claims, for whatever it’s worth, that the DMK wanted surface transport, power, IT, telecom, railways and health.
RADIA: Wo tho pehle se list gaya tha
BARKHA: Ha, abhi coongress has offered IT telecom, chemical fertilizer and labour
RADIA: Yes
BARKHA: So this is where it’ll stand off. Will DMK accept all(or both)?
RADIA: Maybe no, because they have to drop maran if you want them to be accept… Maran is wishing coal and mine.
BARKHA: Who’s wishing?
RADIA: Now maran is saying, you give me coal and more mine. If he.. my honest advice to… is that you need to tell them… tell him directly that we are happy because kaniz(kanimozi) got no issue about being even as independent but alagiri is not telling her that you cannot take an independent charge if maran remains cabinet minister. And congress is sending messages through media and through various sources saying that… maran is going around telling everyone that he is the only acceptable person.
BARKHA: Ya, ya, ya. That i know.
RADIA: But that’s not correct na?
BARKHA: No, i know and we’ve(ndtv) have taken that off… We’ve have taken that off.
RADIA: But also… congress needs to tell karunanidhi that we have not said anything about maran
BARKHA: OK. let me talk to the (inaudible) (hurriyat?)
RADIA: Yeah? The choice of candidate we will leave to you. We have some reservation about Baalu. And let them tell the reservation. And we have not said anything about Maran. We are not asking…
(audio ends)
*Tape 2*
BARKHA: Haan, Niira?
RADIA: Barkha, what I’m told is that the Congress yesterday, apparently, God knows who they are talking to in the DMK.
BARKHA: Haan, well must be Maran…
RADIA: Relayed—no, they relayed that the infrastructure portfolio should not be given to Maran or Baalu.
BARKHA: No, that’s because they want to keep it for themselves.
RADIA: No, they wanted to; they didn’t want any infrastructure, that’s what Prime Minister said, so he said that’s why they give him labour, fertiliser, chemical—and telecom, IT, they said for Raja. So what has happened is, is that message not got relayed to Karunanidhi.
BARKHA: Oh I see!
RADIA: They might have told some minion down the line or told Maran who is not relaying the truth.
BARKHA: I think they have told Maran.
RADIA: Yeah, now what they need to do is, they need to speak to Kani so she can set up the discussion with her father, because even the Prime Minister’s discussion was … she was the one who’s translating, and it was a very brief discussion for two minutes.
BARKHA: Okay.
RADIA: That we’ll try and work it out, and the let’s not you know take it a hasty easy decision. That’s the type of conversation that happened.
BARKHA: No, I’ll set it up as soon as they get out of RCR.
RADIA: What she saying is that, you know, that someone senior like Ghulam [Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader]—because he is the one who is authorised to speak. ….
BARKHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
RADIA: Right? Was to speak to her then she can tell her father that I have got this message from the Congress.
BARKHA: Theek hai, not a problem. That’s not a problem, I’ll talk to Azad—I’ll talk to Azad right after I get out of RCR [Race Course Road, presumably, the PM’s residence].
RADIA: Yeah, and then she said when father lands, I can speak to him.
BARKHA: Okay.
RADIA: And the problem is that the congress is not understanind that nobody is coming and telling my father anything
(Audio ends)
*Tape 3*
BARKHA: Nirra?
RADIA: Hi
BARKHA: Now, their saying, we’ll take whoever!
RADIA: Whoever matlab? It doesn’t matter maran or whoever? ballu or raja or anything na?
BARKHA: Ha, now their saying that
RADIA: But tell me one thing..
BARKHA: I’ve had a long chat and they promissed me that azad will speak to him
RADIA: Who? Ghulam?
BARKHA: Ghulam. Yeah.
RADIA: You know, the problem is she’s catching a flight at five haan, going back. Dayanidhi Maran is attending the swearing in when only Raja has been authorised to attend, so he’s gone and told his leader that Ahmed Patel has called me especially to attend the swearing in.
BARKHA: Ahmed says this is rubbish…
RADIA: But I am telling you but this. Karunanidhi’s very confused.
BARKHA: No, but why can’t Kani stay also and attend it?
RADIA: She doesn’t want to attend no because her father told her to come back. She has to follow what she’s father says, no?
BARKHA: Let me call ghulam then. Let me call him.
RADIA: Tell him she’s leaving at five. She’s catching a flight at five.
(audio ends)
*Tape 4*
BARKHA: Ha, not true
RADIA: I don’t know where she’s(navika kumar from timesnow) getting this from?
BARKHA: No, but the thing is it sits with the congress formula. So it might be a…
RADIA: Congress is already…
BARKHA: No, you see Congress’s condition is … DMK should not get surface transport, beyond individuals. Right?
RADIA: Correct, correct, and they are not individuals. Let me tell you one thing’s for sure, 3 plus 4 was yesterday; because of Maran, they wanted to make it 4 plus 3.
BARKHA: Okay!
RADIA: So, now it is back to… 3 plus 4 was already waht was on the table!
BARKHA: No, so why does this formula not sound right then?
RADIA: Because of Alagiri naa! He’s not got cabinet.
BARKHA: Oh, Alagiri got what, according to these things?
RADIA: You see, according to her, he’s got Health, but he can’t be cabinet. Either Maran is not cabinet, either Raja is not cabinet or Baalu’s not.
BARKHA: Alagiri’s got Health and that’s a big compromise by Congress because they said we won’t give them Health. So that’s their face saver. No, but Alagiri, Health can be cabinet?
RADIA: Agreed, but then Raja is MoS.
BARKHA: Raja is MoS!
RADIA: Then is Baalu MoS? Nahin ho sakta.
BARKHA: Nahin, nahin, nahin, if Baalu gets Heavy Industries and … Baalu gets chemical and fertilizer; Alagiri gets this thing – Health.
RADIA: Maran gets Telecom and IT.
BARKHA: Maran gets Telecom and IT. Raja gets demoted.
RADIA: Who gets…?
BARKHA: Raja? Nahin hoga? haha
RADIA: I am telling you nahin hai (laughing). Trust me, nahin hai. Trust me, nahi hai.
BARKHA: Achcha, theek hai.
RADIA: I’ll tell you what is… paanch minute pehle… main tumko ek baat batathi hu. Kya hogaya hai. Ek baat hogaye. Ye teeno ballu, raja aur maran ko hatake, teen nahe faces le ayenge.
BARKHA: So this is not true basically. na?
RADIA: I don’t know where their getting it from? I’ve been telling navika kumar that you gone hammer and tong. And maran doesn’t even want IT by the way. Maran wants coal and mine.
BARKHA: I heard that maran coal and mine…
(audio ends)
*Tape 5*
RADIA: Nahi hai, barka. Maine abhi firse baat kiya.
BARKHA: Apparently this story is not coming from viredhi but from chennai… Some section of the DMK
RADIA: No, it’s coming from.. hmmm
BARKHA: You see what happened was everybody i know in the congress was at the swearing in. So i haven’t been able to speak to the top guys. Now i just finished and I am going to make my set of calls.
RADIA: Kani just landed in Chennai. Just now. I just spoke…
BARKHA: Where is Daya? Where is Maran?
RADIA: Daya didn’t turn up for the swearing in because he was called back, because he went and told Karunanidhi that I have been asked by Ahmed Patel to come for the swearing in. But the leader said then you join the Congress.
BARKHA: (laughs) So now?
RADIA: So Raja was the only one who’s authorised to attend which he’s done and Raja’s catching the 8:40 flight…
BARKHA: Okay
RADIA: Karunanidi from the time he’s landed has been sleeping. Has been resting. He’s got a back issue if you know. And the meeting is going to take place tommorow.
BARKHA: Ok
(audio ends)
This is a summary of the 5 tapes
—————————–
The conversations are sometime after the 2009 elections and before the formation of the UPA coalition. Radia has good contacts who update her about every little thing.
Tape 1: Radia and barkha are talking about a fresh rift between DMK and UPA. This rift was caused by DMK member baalu who revealed to the media that DMK has withdrawn support to the UPA. This has angered manmohan singh. Barka asks radia for some suggestions to proceed further wrt congress. Radia tells barkha to convince the congress to talk to karunanidhi directly but in private because she claims that k-nidhi is intimidated by his party-men like baalu and maran. She suggests expulsion of baalu. The two then talk about cabinet seats. In the side, congress has said something about maran which radia points out. Barkha tells radia that NDTV has stopped airing that particular footage.
Tape 2: Radia tells barkha that congress(particularly, the PM) doesn’t plan to give infrastructure portfolio to maran or baalu and that those two have been informed about it. But the two have withheld that particular info from k-nidhi. Radia tells barkha to instruct the congress to convey this withheld info to k-nidhi through kanimozhi. Barkha assures radia that she will meet gulam nabi azad(congress leader) at the PM’s residence and tell him about what needs to be done. Kanimozhi tells radia that DMK party-men are no longer updating k-nidhi on the day to day events.
Tape 3: Barka has had long chats with unknown congress leaders. She tells radia that the congress is now ready to take maran, raja or whoever. The congress has promised barkha that they will send ghulam nabi azad to talk to the DMK men. Meanwhile, the DMK men are undermining k-nidhi orders again. K-nidhi’s daughter, kanimozhi is the only one that follow his orders. She has been isntructed to leave the city @ 5pm. In tape 2, ghulam nabi azad is supposed to meet kanimozhi. Barkha calls azad and informs kanimozhis plans to leave the city.
Tape 4: Navika kumar on timesnow thinks that congress will not give anything to maran, raja and baalu. Barkha asks radia whether navika’s assertions are true. Radia tells barkha that navika is wrong. They then talk about maran, raja and baalu on which cabinets they demand.
Tape 5: K-nidhi previously instructed dayanidhi not to attend the swearing in ceremony. Dayanidhi claims that congress leader ahmed patel had specially requested him to attend. Barkha privately enquires with patel about it but patel says that he never forwarded such a request. K-nidhi tells dayanidhi in his face to join congress. Dayanidhi does not attend.