Former Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested on Tuesday for his alleged “double-meaning remark alluding to popular actor Trisha and insulting her modesty”, but was let off after questioning by the police as the state government submitted in the Madras High Court that it has no intent to remand him.
The government submitted that the DMK leader must cooperate with the police in the investigation into the case, which involves allegations of making innuendos and outraging the modesty of a woman.
Udhayanidhi was arrested and taken to Thanjavur in a police van. He was arrested for his alleged remark at a protest meeting held at the Cauvery delta town on Monday. He was booked under various sections of law, including the one relating to the use of obscene words and insulting the modesty of a woman. Promoting enmity, provocation with an intent to cause riot, and criminal intimidation were among the nine sections invoked against Udhayanidhi.
DMK workers hold statewide protests
DMK workers resorted to flash strikes across the state and road-roko demonstrations were also held strongly condemning the arrest. 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.
While political leaders from other parties, including DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakant and AIADMK Deputy General Secretary K P Munusamy, criticised the government’s action, DMK 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.
Didn’t mention anyone's name except CM’s: Udhayanidhi
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 the police.
TVK approaches National Commission for Women
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). 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.
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