Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his residence in Neelankarai, Chennai, on Tuesday morning in connection with a case over alleged derogatory remarks made during a farmers’ protest in Thanjavur.
A team of Thanjavur police took Udhayanidhi into custody and began taking him to Thanjavur for questioning. The arrest came after an FIR was registered at Thanjavur East Police Station on a complaint filed by an office-bearer of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) women’s wing.
According to police, the FIR invokes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to offences against women, hate speech, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
Remarks During Cauvery Protest Spark Controversy
The controversy stems from a DMK-organised protest held in Thanjavur on Monday over the Cauvery water dispute.
Addressing the gathering, Udhayanidhi criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, accusing the TVK government of failing to address issues affecting farmers, including the delayed release of Cauvery water, the Mekedatu project, and the arrest of Tamil Nadu farmers in Maharashtra.
During the speech, some people in the crowd reportedly chanted the name of actor Trisha Krishnan. Udhayanidhi paused and made a remark that critics alleged carried a double meaning involving the actor’s name and the issue of water. Video clips of the exchange circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from political parties.
Udhayanidhi later maintained that his reference was to the Cauvery river and denied making any objectionable remark.
High Court Hearing and Arrest
Earlier on Tuesday, the Madras High Court agreed to hear Udhayanidhi’s urgent anticipatory bail plea. According to reports, the court had directed that no coercive action be taken against him until 12 noon.
Despite this, police proceeded with the arrest in the morning.
While being taken into custody, Udhayanidhi alleged that the case had been fabricated.
“I see this arrest action as a comedy. This is a copy-paste case. I am being prosecuted for remarks I never made,” he told reporters.
Political Reactions
The remarks triggered sharp criticism from the BJP and the ruling TVK.
BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the comments as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar and shameful” and demanded Udhayanidhi’s arrest.
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said the alleged remarks were crude and objectionable, while BJP leader Vinoj P. Selvam urged the Nadigar Sangam to condemn them.
TVK leader Americai Narayanan rejected allegations of political vendetta, saying Udhayanidhi had not been arrested for criticising the Chief Minister or the government but for allegedly insulting a woman.
The incident has intensified the political confrontation between the DMK-led opposition and the ruling TVK government in Tamil Nadu.
