Udhayanidhi Stalin detained in Chennai after alleged derogatory remark about actor Trisha sparks political firestorm

Dubai: Tamil Nadu's Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, was reportedly taken into police custody from his Chennai residence on Tuesday morning following a political storm over controversial remarks he made about actor Trisha during a public rally.

Footage from the arrest showed Udhayanidhi smiling as police escorted him away. Speaking briefly to reporters, he dismissed the action as "a joke" and said he intended to challenge it through legal channels.

The controversy, according to multiple reports like NDTV, erupted after Udhayanidhi addressed a gathering in Thanjavur on Monday over the long-running Cauvery water dispute. During his speech, he criticised Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, accusing his government of failing to secure Cauvery water for Tamil Nadu.

The meeting took an unexpected turn when members of the audience began chanting Trisha's name. Udhayanidhi paused his speech before making a remark widely criticised as an offensive double entendre directed at the actor.

The comment quickly triggered outrage across the political spectrum.

The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) condemned the statement, arguing that the issue was not political criticism but the use of derogatory language against a woman. TVK leader Americai Narayanan rejected allegations that the arrest amounted to political vendetta, saying Udhayanidhi had been detained for making an objectionable remark about a woman, not for attacking the Chief Minister or the party. He also took a personal swipe at the DMK leader, mocking his name during media interactions.

TVK subsequently approached the National Commission for Women (NCW), urging it to take action against Udhayanidhi. The party also lodged a police complaint, alleging that the DMK leader had used vulgar innuendo and offensive language against a prominent female public figure. According to the complaint, such remarks made from a political platform contribute to the normalisation of verbal harassment and the objectification of women.

The DMK, however, defended its leader and accused the government of pursuing political revenge. Senior DMK leader TKS Elangovan argued that Udhayanidhi had merely listed what he described as Chief Minister Vijay's failures and insisted that neither Trisha's name nor any insulting reference to her had been made in the speech.

The BJP also strongly criticised Udhayanidhi's comments. State chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the speech as vulgar and shameful, saying it crossed the limits of acceptable public discourse. He maintained that arresting Udhayanidhi over the remarks would enhance the state's credibility.

This is not the first time Trisha has found herself drawn into political commentary linked to speculation about her relationship with Chief Minister Vijay. Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran suggested that Vijay should "come out of Trisha's house" before entering politics, prompting a legal response from the actor's representatives