Udhayanidhi Stalin arrest: Madras High Court grants station bail in Trisha remark case
PTC Web Desk: Tamil Nadu Assembly Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a controversial remark made during a public speech. However, within hours of his arrest, the Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu Police to release him on station bail on the same day.
The case has sparked a political controversy, with the remark being widely interpreted by many as an indirect reference to actor Trisha while Udhayanidhi was addressing the ongoing Cauvery water dispute and criticising Chief Minister Vijay.
RELATED NEWS | Tamil Nadu LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin arrested over crass 'Trisha' remarks, says being targeted
The controversy stems from a speech delivered on August 3 in Thanjavur, where Udhayanidhi was speaking on the Cauvery issue.
According to the complaint, members of the crowd repeatedly chanted "Trisha, Trisha" during the speech. It is alleged that Udhayanidhi responded with a double-meaning remark that the complainant described as obscene and offensive.
The complaint was filed by S. Bairavi, the Central District Women's Wing Organiser of TVK in Thanjavur East, at the Thanjavur East Police Station.
She alleged that the remarks insulted women, caused mental distress to actor Trisha as well as women in general, and that a 2-minute-39-second video of the incident was deliberately circulated on social media platform X to provoke public unrest.
Soon after the police reached Udhayanidhi's residence in Neelankarai to arrest him, his legal team moved the Madras High Court with an anticipatory bail petition.
During the hearing, Tamil Nadu Advocate General Vijay Narayan informed the court that the police had already arrested Udhayanidhi and taken him to Thanjavur for questioning.
He also clarified that the police did not intend to seek judicial custody and only wanted to question him before releasing him on station bail.
Accepting the submission, the High Court directed the police to grant him station bail the same day.
The police have registered multiple charges against the DMK leader under various legal provisions, including allegations related to using obscene words in public, insulting the modesty of a woman, promoting enmity, provocation with intent to cause a riot and criminal intimidation.
The investigation into the case is continuing.
Before being taken away by police, Udhayanidhi briefly spoke to reporters and defended himself. He questioned whether he had named anyone other than the Chief Minister during his speech and said the matter should be left for the judiciary to decide.
"Court will decide," he said while responding to questions from the media.
The arrest triggered protests by DMK workers across Tamil Nadu. Party supporters staged demonstrations and road blockades in several areas, condemning the police action.
Meanwhile, DMK president MK Stalin held a meeting at the party headquarters to discuss the political situation and the party's strategy ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly session scheduled to begin on August 5.
The controversy also intensified on the political front, with TVK escalating its protest. Apart from filing complaints with the local police, the party approached the National Commission for Women (NCW).
TVK national spokesperson Pazha Selvakumar submitted a complaint before the Commission in New Delhi, urging it to issue a notice to Udhayanidhi Stalin and seek an unconditional public apology over the alleged remarks.
- With inputs from agencies
