Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition, producer-actor and DMK youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested by the Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday, August 4, after a case was registered over remarks made during a political rally that were widely interpreted as referring to actor Trisha.
The controversy erupted during a public meeting in Thanjavur on Monday, where Udhayanidhi was criticising Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over the Cauvery water dispute. As members of the audience shouted, "Trisha, Trisha," Udhayanidhi responded with a comment in Tamil that has since been criticised as a sexual innuendo.
The remark quickly went viral on social media, drawing condemnation from political parties and public figures, who described it as misogynistic and derogatory towards women.
Following a complaint by a functionary of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), the Thanjavur East Police registered an FIR against the DMK leader under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges relating to insulting the modesty of a woman, intentional insult, promoting enmity between groups, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation. The FIR also invokes Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, which deals with the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.
Police from Thanjavur, assisted by the Greater Chennai Police, arrived at Udhayanidhi's residence in Chennai's Neelangarai on Tuesday morning to execute the arrest. The move triggered protests by DMK workers gathered outside the residence, while senior party leader Ma. Subramanian and Udhayanidhi's wife, Krithika Udhayanidhi, were seen confronting police personnel.
The actor at the centre of the controversy, Trisha, has not publicly commented on the matter.
Meanwhile, Udhayanidhi has approached the Madras High Court seeking legal relief. His plea is expected to be heard later on Tuesday. The ruling TVK has also filed a complaint with the National Commission for Women, seeking action over the remarks.
The episode has once again highlighted the close overlap between Tamil Nadu's film industry and its political landscape, with an off-the-cuff reference to a leading film star escalating into a major political and legal controversy.