DMK’s Udhayanidhi Stalin arrested over remarks about Tamil Nadu CM Vijay
Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks were widely interpreted as a sexually suggestive reference to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s friendship with a popular Tamil actor.
Udhayanidhi Stalin was briefly arrested following allegations that he made a sexually suggestive reference to Vijay’s friendship with a popular actor. (PTI File Photo)
DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested Tuesday morning from his home in Chennai’s Neelankarai neighbourhood for remarks widely interpreted as a sexually suggestive reference to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s friendship with a popular Tamil actor.
The arrest followed high drama.
Police gathered outside Udhayanidhi Stalin’s home waiting to enter and arrest him, but their entry was briefly delayed while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s legal team negotiated with the cops. Shortly after 11 AM the police received the all-clear and Stalin junior – a former deputy chief minister and the son of party boss MK Stalin – was taken into custody.
Reports indicate Udhayanidhi Stalin has been taken to Thanjavur – where he made the comments and where he is expected to be questioned. Speaking to reporters as police took him away, the younger Stalin said he was being arrested for “things I never said”.
He claimed the case against him was an attempt to divert public attention from real issues and took a swipe at the ruling
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, declaring “everyone in the government – from the Chief Minister to the ministers – is living in reels”.
He also declared police action against him a “comedy” and said he intended to file legal challenges.
#WATCH | DMK leader and LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin detained by Police from his Chennai residence, following an FIR against him over his alleged defamatory remarks against CM Vijay. Slogans directed at actor Trisha were raised at his rally yesterday. pic.twitter.com/wTM6rABo85
He also declared police action against him a “comedy” and said he intended to file legal challenges.
What are the charges against Udhayanidhi Stalin?
The Indian Express has exclusively accessed details of the case registered at the Thanjavur East Police Station.
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The charges include criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between groups, provoking riots, insulting the modesty of a woman, obscene utterances in a public place, criminal intimidation, intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace.
What is the row about?
It started with a DMK protest over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute and the proposed Mekedatu dam project.
Addressing the meeting in Thanjavur, Udhayanidhi Stalin criticised the Tamil Nadu government for failing to secure Cauvery water supply from Karnataka. “Forty-five thousand million cubic feet (tmc) of water should have come… but not a single drop has come. But the CM we have is not even opening his mouth. His only concern is about how to impose false cases on DMK leaders…” he said.
At that point, sections of the audience began chanting the name of a prominent Tamil actor seen as a close friend of Vijay. Pausing his speech and smiling, Udhayanidhi Stalin then made the alleged remark. The crowd responded with loud applause and laughter.
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He then added: “I mean, I was referring to Cauvery only.”
The exchange quickly spread across social media and prompted sharp criticism from across the political spectrum.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore called the language “unacceptable” and urged Udhayanidhi Stalin to withdraw the remark and issue an unconditional apology.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay
BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said criticism of political opponents should retain “a certain purity of thought” and alleged that resorting to “vulgar double meanings” reflected poorly on the DMK’s political culture.
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Tamil Nadu BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy called the remark “disgusting, obscene, vulgar and shameful” and demanded legal action against the DMK leader.
The ruling TVK also reacted strongly. Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna described the speech as “vulgar and disgraceful,” saying it lacked “the most basic human dignity” and was unbecoming of a Leader of the Opposition.
Health Minister K G Arunraj said the remark insulted women as well as the farming community that depends on the Cauvery. The TVK Women’s Wing lodged a police complaint in Thanjavur, alleging that Udhayanidhi’s comments demeaned women.
DMK defends Stalin Jr
The DMK, however, defended the remarks saying the comments were only directed at the “government’s failures”.
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“DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said: “I listened to his entire speech. Nothing was said as people are saying. He only listed out the CM’s failures. Nothing was insulting in his speech. He did not even mention the name of the actor. He was only attacking the government. The problem with this government is that they don’t care about people of Tamil Nadu. They are being used by someone to attack DMK. Their party started only to attack us.”
#WATCH | Chennai | On backlash against Udhayanidhi Stalin after slogans related to actor Trisha were raised at his rally yesterday, DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan says, “I listened to his entire speech. Nothing was said as people are saying. He only listed out the CM’s failures.… pic.twitter.com/vTnnSux6t5
Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.
Expertise
Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.
Key Coverage Areas:
State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.
Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.
Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.
Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.
His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay