Tamil Nadu: Udhayanidhi’s remark sparks row, BJP demands his arrest

A remark made by Tamil Nadu’s Leader of the Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, in response to chants of ‘Trisha, Trisha’ during a demonstration over the Cauvery issue in Thanjavur, on Monday, August 3, has triggered a political controversy. "Absolutely disgusting. Passing such disgraceful comments against anyone is completely unacceptable. It exposes the mindset, political culture, and declining standards of the clan," reacted TVK MLA Rhevanth Charan.Udhayanidhi was addressing a DMK protest against the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led state government over the Cauvery issue. During his speech on the lack of water release from the river, he said, “Water should have come. But today, not even a single drop of water has come.”Questioning the state government’s response, he further asked, “But is the Chief Minister opening his mouth to speak about this? No, he isn’t. His only concern is: what false allegations can be made against the DMK? What fake cases can be filed?”At that point, members of the crowd shouted, “Trisha! Trisha!”He then responded with a line that was allegedly laced with double meaning.The speech has since drawn criticism from the BJP, with state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy alleging that the remark amounted to an objectionable double entendre directed at actor Trisha.Narayanan Thirupathy described the speech as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar and shameful.” He alleged that “even a rogue with a mother, wife and daughter would not speak in such a degrading manner,” and criticised DMK president MK Stalin for remaining silent over the episode.He further demanded that Udhayanidhi Stalin be arrested over the remark instead of other recent arrests, stating that such action would “bring pride” to the TVK government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. He also said, “Let us see whether the courts punish this speech or grant him bail.”Meanwhile, TVK national spokesperson Pazha Selvakumar submitted a representation to the National Commission for Women (NCW), seeking its intervention over Udhayanidhi's remarks. In the letter, the party urged the Commission to take cognisance of the speech and video footage from the Thanjavur rally, issue a notice seeking an explanation and an unconditional public apology, and direct law enforcement authorities to register a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The representation alleged that the remarks normalised the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces and undermined the dignity expected of public representatives.The controversy comes against the backdrop of the DMK’s demonstration in Thanjavur demanding that the State government take steps to stop Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, waive farmers’ loans in full, and declare the Cauvery delta districts as drought-affected.Addressing the protest, Udhayanidhi accused the TVK government of mishandling the Cauvery issue and termed it an “incompetent and incapable” administration. He alleged that the Cauvery river had remained almost dry during the Aadi Perukku festival and said farmers had already lost the kuruvai crop, while uncertainty persisted over samba and thaladi cultivation.