CHENNAI: After Udhayanidhi Stalin was detained by the Tamil Nadu Police on Tuesday over his alleged “derogatory” remarks about CM Vijay and actor Trisha, DMK workers staged protests across parts of the state. Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam led a demonstration in Theni, where he and several party workers were later detained by the police as protesters accused the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of political vendetta.The protest began in Theni, where DMK workers accused the ruling TVK government of filing a politically motivated case. Demonstrators raised slogans, including “Don’t foist false cases” and “We condemn the TVK government.” Police later detained O Panneerselvam and several DMK workers during the protest.The protests soon spread to other parts of Tamil Nadu. Near the Central Bus Stand in Tiruchirappalli, police detained protesters and shifted them to a private marriage hall for temporary custody.In Ramanathapuram, DMK workers gathered outside the new bus stand and allegedly blocked the road. Police later detained the protesters.In Pudukkottai, DMK cadres took to the streets, where police detained several party workers, including Pudukkottai MLA V Muthuraja, during the demonstration. Visuals from the district showed DMK workers raising slogans and marching in protest before police intervened and detained the demonstrators.In Alangudi in Pudukkottai district, DMK MLA Meyyanathan Siva was also detained during the protest, which was organised against Udhayanidhi’s detention from his Neelankarai residence.Similar protests were held in Karur, where police detained DMK members, including Aravakurichi MLA R Elango, during demonstrations against Udhayanidhi Stalin’s detention.The case against Udhayanidhi was registered after the women’s wing of the ruling TVK filed a complaint at the Thanjavur police station on Monday. The complaint alleged that he made a double-entendre remark about actor Trisha Krishnan during a public meeting.Police booked Udhayanidhi under nine sections of law, including seven provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), one section of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act and one under the Information Technology Act.The BNS charges include promoting enmity between groups, provoking a riot, intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace, insulting the modesty of a woman, using obscene words in a public place, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation. He was also booked under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman (Amendment) Act, 2002, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.Udhayanidhi was arrested by the Thanjavur East Police and was being taken to Thanjavur.Similar demonstrations were held near the Central Bus Stand in Tiruchirappalli, where police detained protesters and shifted them to a private marriage hall for temporary custody.In Ramanathapuram, DMK workers gathered outside the new bus stand and allegedly blocked the road. Police later detained the protesters.Meanwhile, former chief minister M K Stalin reached the DMK headquarters in Chennai amid the political developments.The controversy stems from remarks made by Udhayanidhi during a rally on the Cauvery water dispute on Monday. As he addressed the gathering, sections of the crowd chanted “Trisha, Trisha.” After pausing briefly, he allegedly said, “Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there,” before clarifying that he was referring to the Cauvery water.Reacting to the arrest, DMK MP Kanimozhi accused the TVK government of seeking political revenge. “If the government wants to personally take revenge on the Opposition Leader, Thiru. @Udhaystalin, let it file a case. Let the court deliver its verdict,” she posted on X.Earlier on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Police detained Udhayanidhi from his Neelankarai residence in Chennai after an FIR was registered against him over the alleged remarks. The former deputy chief minister was later taken away by the police.
