Udhayanidhi Stalin Arrested Over Remarks On Actor Trisha, DMK Cries "Vendetta"

High drama unfolded in Chennai on Tuesday morning as the Tamil Nadu Police arrested Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin from his home over remarks against actor Trisha.

Stalin Junior's comments on the actor at a rally on Monday had triggered a massive controversy with the TVK slamming DMK leader's objectionable comments.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, who was seen smiling as he was escorted by cops, said that he saw the arrest as a "joke"and he would "fight it legally".

The DMK slammed the arrest calling it political vendetta. "Nothing was said against anyone. Udayanidhi listed out Vijay's failures. There was nothing insulting in speech. He didn't even name Trisha," DMK leader TKS Elangovan said.

TVK Americai Narayanan, speaking to NDTV, rejected the vendetta charge saying, "Udhayanidhi Stalin has not been arrested for speaking against Chief Minister Vijay or the TVK, but for insulting a woman."

Taking a swipe at Udhayanidhi, the TVK leader said that he should change it to "vulgar-nidhi".

While addressing a protest gathering over the Cauvery dispute in Thanjavur on Monday, Udhayanidhi took a swipe at Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, alleging that Tamil Nadu had not received a single drop of Cauvery water while the Chief Minister remained unconcerned.

The rally took a controversial turn when someone in the crowd chanted, "Trisha, Trisha". Pausing his speech, Udhayanidhi, with a smirk on his face, responded with an offensive double entendre, a remark that has since sparked severe political backlash.

Slamming the comment the TVK had written to the National Commission for Women demanding action against the DMK leader. The party had also filed a police complaint against Udhayanidhi.

"Udhayanidhi Stalin resorted to offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure, prompted by an audience chant," TVK has pointed out in its complaint to the NCW.

"Such language, delivered from a high-profile political platform, normalises the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public space," the complaint added.

Earlier, Tamil Nadu BJP had also demanded Udhayanidhi's arrest over his remarks. 

"Udhayanidhi Stalin's double-meaning speech about Chief Minister Vijay and Trisha in Thanjavur is disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful. Truly, even a rogue or thief who has a mother, wife, and daughter would not speak so vulgarly. No mother, wife, or daughter would forgive those who speak like that. But it is shameful that former Chief Minister M K Stalin watches silently while these people, who call themselves the 'Dravidian Model,' speak this way in public," BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy had said on Monday.

"Arresting and imprisoning Udhayanidhi Stalin for this low-grade speech would bring more credit to Tamil Nadu," he added.

This is, unfortunately, not the first time Trisha has been spoken of in an objectionable manner, with Vijay often the main target. Since rumours of their relationship surfaced, figures in both cinema and politics have felt free to comment on it.

Earlier this year, TN BJP leader Nainar Nagendran remarked that Vijay should 'come out of Trisha's house' before entering politics. Her legal team responded on her behalf at the time.