Fact Check: Did Udhayanidhi Stalin Really Make A Remark About Trisha? Here's What Happened

Police arrested Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday with officers detaining the DMK MLA and Tamil Nadu leader of the opposition inside his home in Neelankarai, Chennai. They later transported him to Thanjavur to face charges linked to his recent Cauvery water protest speech.

Local police in Thanjavur East registered the formal complaint invoking the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and the Information Technology Act.

The arrest triggered immediate protests as DMK workers launched road blockades across several Tamil Nadu districts. DMK chief MK Stalin also convened an emergency meeting to address the situation.

The Speech In Question

The controversy erupted during Udhayanidhi's speech on the Cauvery water issue in Thanjavur on Monday.

Speaking about Karnataka's release of Cauvery water, Udhayanidhi said, "In July, 32 TMC of water should have been released from Karnataka, and the total inflow should have been 42 TMC. But we haven't received even a single drop of water. Has the Chief Minister opened his mouth on this issue? What is his only concern? What fake cases can be filed against the DMK?"

At that point, sections of the audience began chanting "Trisha, Trisha." Udhayanidhi then responded: "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there."

Udhayanidhi did not name the actress. The Times of India reported that an analysis of the footage showed the crowd chanted her name, not the DMK lawmaker. But his response to those chants are the point of contention in this case.

Allegations Of Double Entendre

S Bairavi, TVK's Central District Women's Wing organiser for Thanjavur, filed the complaint against the DMK leader which targeted his reply to the crowds’ chants.

 According to the filing, Udhayanidhi used a vulgar innuendo that insulted the actor and demeaned women. The exchange caused severe distress to the actor and women overall, Bairavi said. She also added that individuals deliberately shared footage of the event online.

The TVK petitioned the National Commission for Women (NCW) to penalize the DMK leader with the ruling party demanding that he issue an unconditional public apology.

DMK Denies All Charges

Stalin rejected all allegations leveled against him and said that he’ll ‘let the court decide’.

 "Did I mention anyone's name except the CM's? Then why do you think this is happening? Let the court decide," Udhayanidhi said to reporters as police led him from his Neelankarai home. He termed the charges a "comedy" and accused rivals of selectively editing his speech.

He vowed to fight the case in court. "They have propagated fake news by using 'cut, copy, paste' to claim I said something I never said. I am not the kind of person to be intimidated by all this. I will face it legally," he said.

DMK leaders echoed his defence. Party spokesperson TKS Elangovan said he had watched the entire speech and claimed Udhayanidhi only criticised the state government. "He only listed out the government's failures. Nothing was insulting in his speech. He did not even mention the name of the actress. He was only attacking the government," Elangovan said.

Senior DMK leaders called the arrest a political vendetta by the ruling TVK government. They said police timed the move to block Udhayanidhi from attending the Assembly session starting Wednesday.