Tamil Nadu Police arrested Udhayanidhi Stalin from his Chennai home over controversial remarks on actor Trisha. He termed the arrest a “joke” and said he would challenge it legally.
Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his Chennai residence on Tuesday after his remarks about actor Trisha at a public rally sparked a political controversy.
The arrest comes a day after comments made by the DMK leader during a protest meeting in Thanjavur drew criticism from political parties, leading to complaints and demands for legal action.
Udhayanidhi Stalin was seen smiling as police escorted him from his residence following the arrest. Speaking briefly, he described the police action as a “joke” and said he would challenge it through legal means.
The controversy began during a protest gathering over the Cauvery water dispute in Thanjavur on Monday.
While criticising Chief Minister Joseph Vijay over the state’s water concerns, members of the crowd shouted actor Trisha’s name. Udhayanidhi paused his speech and responded with what critics described as an offensive double entendre, triggering widespread backlash.
The DMK criticised the arrest and alleged that it was politically motivated.
Party leader TKS Elangovan said Udhayanidhi had only highlighted the Chief Minister’s failures and had neither insulted anyone nor mentioned Trisha by name. According to the party, the arrest amounts to political vendetta.
Rejecting the DMK’s allegations, TVK leader Americai Narayanan said the arrest was not linked to criticism of the Chief Minister or the party.
According to him, the action was taken because Udhayanidhi allegedly insulted a woman through his remarks. He also criticised the DMK leader over the controversy.
Earlier, TVK had submitted a complaint to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Udhayanidhi Stalin. The party also filed a police complaint.
In its complaint, TVK alleged that Udhayanidhi used offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure. The party further stated that such remarks normalise the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces.
The Tamil Nadu BJP had also demanded Udhayanidhi Stalin’s arrest over the remarks.
State BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the comments as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful” and said legal action against the DMK leader would be appropriate.
The controversy has once again brought attention to repeated public remarks involving actor Trisha in political debates.