What began as a political attack at a farmers' protest has now snowballed into one of Tamil Nadu's most contentious controversies, with the Leader of the Opposition, Udhayanidhi Stalin, being detained after remarks made during his speech triggered widespread outrage and a police case.

Udhayanidhi was taken into custody from his Chennai residence after an FIR was registered over his alleged defamatory remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

Police sources said he was being taken to Thanjavur in connection with a case registered at the Thanjavur East Police Station.

The controversy stems from a speech delivered at a farmers' protest in Thanjavur, where Udhayanidhi was criticising Vijay.

During the address, someone from the audience shouted the name of a female Tamil actor, prompting a reaction from Udhayanidhi that many interpreted as acknowledging a sexually suggestive double entendre.

The moment quickly spread online, drawing sharp criticism from political leaders and members of the film industry.

Playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada was among the first prominent voices to condemn the incident. She argued that elected representatives should be discussing public issues rather than dragging women into political exchanges.

Chinmayi said the controversy was not merely about failing to stop inappropriate slogans from the crowd, but about responding with what she described as an even more objectionable remark.

Calling the episode 'a disappointment', she urged younger politicians to leave behind the misogynistic rhetoric that has often characterised political discourse and instead set higher standards. She also encouraged women to speak up against such behaviour.

Actor-politician Kushboo Sundar also criticised Udhayanidhi, calling the remarks 'crass, cheap and deeply derogatory'.

She said reducing women to instruments in political battles reflected a toxic political culture and stressed that political rivalry should never descend into vulgar or personal attacks.

Kushboo further demanded that Udhayanidhi issue an unconditional public apology to the actor whose name surfaced during the speech. The controversy has also widened into a political flashpoint.

BJP leader Narayanan Thirupathy described the remarks as 'disgusting, obscene, vulgar and shameful', while supporters of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) accused Udhayanidhi of lowering the standards of political discourse in the state.

Defending the DMK leader, party MP TR Baalu rejected allegations that Udhayanidhi had targeted any woman. He maintained that reports suggesting otherwise were false and insisted the controversy was being misrepresented.