Chennai : Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday detained Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin shortly after registering an FIR against him over controversial remarks made during a speech on the Cauvery water dispute. Following the registration of the case, a police team reached Udhayanidhi’s residence in Chennai and detained him. He has also approached the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail, with his plea scheduled to be heard later in the day.
Udhayanidhi defended his remarks, insisting he had “not said anything wrong.””I have not said anything wrong. Did I name anyone other than Vijay?” he said, describing the police action as “vengeful”. As he was escorted into a police vehicle, he added, “Let the court decide.” The controversy stems from a speech in which Udhayanidhi criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over the state’s handling of the Cauvery water dispute.
During the address, a member of the audience shouted “Trisha, Trisha”, prompting Udhayanidhi to respond with a double entendre that opponents described as vulgar and derogatory towards women. The FIR invokes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman), Section 352 (intentional insult likely to provoke breach of peace), Section 196 (promoting enmity), Section 61 (criminal conspiracy), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
Police have also invoked Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act, 2002, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act related to obscene electronic content. The ruling TVK launched a strong attack on the DMK leader over the remarks. TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna dubbed Udhayanidhi “Obscene Nidhi”, accusing him of lowering the standards of political discourse and insulting women. Describing the speech as “obscene” and full of “double-meaning” remarks, Arjuna alleged that Udhayanidhi was tarnishing the political legacy of former Chief Minister C N Annadurai.
“‘Obscene’ Nidhi is destroying the movement that great scholar Anna built with his Tamil erudition through obscene language and double-meaning speeches,” Arjuna wrote on Instagram. He further claimed the remarks reflected a “perverted thinking about women” and said no family in Tamil Nadu would accept such language in public life. Arjuna also asserted that women voters would reject Udhayanidhi over the controversy.
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