The Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday arrested Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin immediately after a case against him was booked in connection with remarks that he had made in a political rally. The remarks, made in response to a heckler who interrupted him in a rally criticizing Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on the issue of the Cauvery water dispute, have received widespread political backlash in the state.
After the police raid on his Chennai home, Udhayanidhi has moved the Madras High Court for anticipatory bail, with the court due to hear the application in the afternoon.
Heckler intervention sparks political row
The political row broke out when the DMK party’s Udhayanidhi was addressing a public meeting on the failure of the incumbent Tamil Nadu Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) government in getting Cauvery water for delta farmers.
What happened? During the course of his speech, a heckler from the crowd screamed the name “Trisha”. Pausing for a second, the DMK leader made a statement that has now become a political row involving various political parties in the state.
Condemnation: All major political parties in Tamil Nadu have condemned the statement, describing them as vulgar, derogatory, and inappropriate in the political discourse.
Front Opposition wages a fierce attack; TVK & BJP demand apology
The ruling TVK has fired a barrage at the Leader of Opposition after the incident:
“The DMK leader is tarnishing the movement spearheaded by the great scholar Annadurai through obscene language and double-meaning speeches. This kind of statement is indicative of perversion regarding women which will not be appreciated by mothers, sisters, or parents in Tamil Nadu,” said TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna on social media.
Felix Gerald, the spokesman for the TVK, went on to ask if Udhayanidhi would use such statements even in front of his own family members, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for immediate legal action:
BJP stand: The BJP spokesperson in Tamil Nadu, Narayanan Thirupathy, described the remarks as “disgusting, obscene, and shameful,” and has called for the arrest of Udhayanidhi.
Demand for apology: The BJP leader Khushbu Sundar called for Udhayanidhi to give an unconditional apology to actress Trisha, while another former state BJP president, K. Annamalai, condemned the speech.
Bureau Report
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