Udhayanidhi Stalin Arrested, Released on Station Bail Over Remarks on CM Vijay, Actor Trisha

Leader of the Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his Chennai residence on the morning of August 4 by a team of Thanjavur police and taken to Thanjavur district for questioning, in connection with an FIR registered a day earlier.

The case stemmed from remarks Udhayanidhi made while addressing a DMK-led protest near Panagal Building in Thanjavur on August 3 over farm loan waivers, the Mekedatu dam and the Cauvery water dispute. His remarks were widely described in news reports as a "double entendre" seen as directed at both Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and actor Trisha Krishnan.

The FIR was registered at Thanjavur East police station on a complaint by the TVK women's wing organiser, invoking provisions relating to harassment of women, hate speech, the IT Act and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The TVK women's wing also complained to the National Commission for Women.

The remarks drew condemnation from multiple parties, including the BJP, MDMK and CPI(M), whose leaders said political figures should maintain decorum in public life; a TVK MLA called the comments "disgusting."

The Madras High Court directed police to release Udhayanidhi after questioning, and the state government told the court it was not seeking his judicial remand. He was questioned for about ninety minutes at Sengipatti police station in Thanjavur district before being released on station bail on August 4.

Udhayanidhi and the DMK described the arrest as a politically motivated attempt to divert attention from farmers' issues; DMK president M.K. Stalin accused the TVK government of an "authoritarian approach" and of targeting political opponents.