Kanimozhi slams Udhayanidhi Stalin's arrest; alleges bid to block Assembly attendance

Chennai: Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Tuesday strongly criticised the arrest of Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over his alleged remarks about actor Trisha Krishnan, accusing the Tamil Nadu government of using "oppressive tactics" to target the opposition.

In a post on X, Kanimozhi said if the government wished to pursue legal action against Udhayanidhi, it should do so through the courts rather than resorting to what she described as political vendetta.

"If the government wants to personally take revenge on the Opposition Leader, Thiru. Udhayanidhi Stalin, let it file a case. Let the court deliver its verdict," she wrote.

She further alleged that the government lacked the courage to confront the DMK politically and had instead chosen to misuse its powers.

"But, lacking the courage to confront the DMK as an opposition party, for the government to resort to such oppressive tactics is against the law," Kanimozhi said.

The DMK MP also claimed that the timing of the arrest was intended to prevent Udhayanidhi from attending the Tamil Nadu Assembly session scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

"Arresting the Opposition Leader in this way, solely to prevent him from participating in the Assembly session starting tomorrow, is blatant cowardice," she added.

Udhayanidhi was arrested on Tuesday after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) filed complaints with the police and the National Commission for Women (NCW) over his alleged remarks during a DMK protest in Thanjavur on Monday.

The controversy arose during a demonstration over the Cauvery water dispute near the Panagal Building in Thanjavur. According to the complaint, members of the crowd chanted Trisha's name during Udhayanidhi's speech, following which he allegedly made an obscene double entendre directed at the actor.

TVK has accused the DMK leader of using offensive and objectifying language against a woman and has sought legal action, an unconditional public apology, and intervention by the NCW.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court agreed to hear Udhayanidhi's anticipatory bail plea later in the day after police registered a case in connection with the alleged remarks.