High-voltage political drama unfolded in Chennai on Tuesday morning after Tamil Nadu Police arrested Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin from his residence over his alleged objectionable remarks against
actor Trisha.
Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18 shortly after his arrest, Stalin remained defiant, asserting that he had done nothing wrong and was prepared to face the legal consequences. “I am ready to face the consequences,” he told CNN-News18.
Rejecting the allegations against him, the DMK leader maintained that his remarks had been misconstrued. “Nothing I have said… I have said nothing about anybody,” Udhayanidhi told CNN-News18.
How The Controversy Erupted?
The controversy erupted after Udhayanidhi, while addressing a protest rally over the Cauvery water dispute in Thanjavur on Monday, took a swipe at Chief Minister Joseph Vijay over the state’s water crisis.
Also Read: Udhayanidhi Stalin Arrested After Trisha Remarks At Rally, Taken In For Questioning
During the speech, someone in the audience shouted “Trisha, Trisha.” Udhayanidhi briefly paused his speech and then, with a smirk on his face, responded to the sloganeering with an offensive double entendre, triggering a political storm.
‘Vulgar, Offensive’: TVK Lodges Complaint With NCW
Thalapathy Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has since approached the National Commission for Women (NCW), seeking action against Udhayanidhi over the alleged remarks.
In its complaint, the party described the comments as “deeply troubling and offensive” and urged the Commission to take cognisance of the incident.
“Udhayanidhi Stalin resorted to offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure, prompted by an audience chant,” the complaint said.
“Such language, delivered from a high-profile political platform, normalises the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public space,” it added.
The party has sought an “unconditional public apology” from Udhayanidhi, alleging he used “objectifying and vulgar rhetoric” against a woman. It has also demanded that the NCW issue a notice to the DMK leader and urged police to register a case against him for “outraging the modesty of women.”
Also Read: ‘Politically Motivated, Defamatory’: DMK’s First Reaction To Udhayanidhi’s Trisha Remark
DMK Calls Allegations ‘Politically Motivated’
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday dismissed the criticism as a “politically motivated” attempt to divert attention from issues concerning farmers in Tamil Nadu’s Cauvery delta region.
DMK leader Dr T R B Rajaa came out in defence of Udhayanidhi, accusing critics of manufacturing a controversy to avoid a debate on the plight of delta farmers and the Cauvery water dispute.
“The politically motivated defamatory news on the LoP is a clear move to divert away from the plight of #Delta #farmers. Instead of debating those questions, critics are trying to manufacture a controversy!” Rajaa wrote in a post on X.
Calling for a discussion on governance rather than personalities, he added, “Debate politics. Debate policy. Don’t replace substance with selective fake news!”
Rajaa also alleged that the TVK government was shifting focus away from the Cauvery issue. The BJP has also criticised Udhayanidhi over the remarks, further intensifying the political row.
