Udhayanidhi Stalin arrested over alleged remark on actor Trisha

Former Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested over an alleged obscene remark linked to actor Trisha. Booked under multiple legal provisions, his arrest triggered statewide DMK protests, while the party moved court for anticipatory bail and TVK approached the NCW

Chennai: Former Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was on Tuesday arrested for his alleged “double-meaning” remark alluding to popular actor Trisha and insulting her modesty, police said. Udhayanidhi was arrested and taken to Thanjavur in a police van. The DMK leader was arrested for his alleged remark at a protest meeting held at the Cauvery delta town on Monday. He has been booked by police under various sections of law, including the one relating to the use of obscene words and insulting the modesty of a woman.

DMK workers resorted to flash strikes across the state and road-roko demonstrations were also held strongly condemning the arrest. The Dravidian party president MK Stalin chaired a meeting at the party headquarters to decide on the next course of action as the Assembly session is set to begin on August 5.

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Party sources said the Madras High Court has been approached seeking anticipatory bail and senior party leader K N Nehru said Udhayanidhi’s remark has been distorted.

Udhayanidhi, the leader of opposition, who was picked up from his residence in Chennai’s Neelangarai by the Thanjavur police, told reporters who gathered there that the “court will decide”. “Did I mention anyone’s name except the CM’s? (at the protest held in Thanjavur) Then why do you think this is happening? Let the court decide,” he told reporters before being escorted away by police.

Promoting enmity, provocation with an intent to cause riot, and criminal intimidation were among the nine sections invoked against Udhayanidhi. Provisions under the TN Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act have also been invoked, sources added.

Police officials held talks with DMK top leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s family and senior party leader Ma Subramanian before arresting the leader of the opposition on Tuesday. Even as a huge number of party workers gathered in front of Udhayanidhi’s residence and raised slogans to condemn the police for acting against their leader, senior police officials held talks.

Meanwhile, the TVK escalated its protest against Udhayanidhi’s alleged offensive remark by filing complaints with both the local police and the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday.

A police complaint was lodged at the Thanjavur East Police Station by S Bairavi, the TVK’s Central District Women’s Wing Organiser for Thanjavur. The complaint alleged that when the crowd chanted “Trisha, Trisha” during the Leader of the Opposition’s speech on the Cauvery issue on August 3, he responded with an obscene, double-meaning remark.

The complainant accused him and DMK IT wing office-bearers of intentionally degrading women, causing mental agony to the actor and women in general, and deliberately circulating a 2:39-minute video of the incident on the social media platform X to cause public unrest.

Simultaneously, TVK’s national spokesperson, Pazha Selvakumar, lodged a formal complaint with the NCW in New Delhi. The ruling party has urged the Commission to issue a notice seeking an explanation and demand an unconditional public apology from Udhayanidhi.

Meanwhile, reacting strongly to Udhayanidhi’s arrest, DMK cadres staged protests across the state and political leaders including DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakant and AIADMK Deputy General Secretary K P Munusamy criticised the government’s action.