Chennai: The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu Police to release DMK MLA Udhayanidhi Stalin after completing his questioning in connection with a case over his alleged remarks linked to actor Trisha. The court also instructed him to cooperate with the investigation whenever required.
The direction came while hearing Udhayanidhi’s anticipatory bail plea after Tamil Nadu Advocate General Vijay Narayan informed the court that the police had no intention of seeking his judicial remand.
Appearing for the State, the Advocate General told the court that Udhayanidhi had already been taken into custody and would be released on station bail after questioning.
“He has already been arrested but will be let off after questioning. We do not intend to remand Udhayanidhi Stalin. He will be released on station bail after inquiry,” the Advocate General submitted, adding that the arrest was made “in the interest of women.”
Earlier in the day, the Thanjavur (East) Police took the DMK leader into custody from his residence in Neelankarai, Chennai, and brought him to Thanjavur for questioning over an FIR registered following his speech at a Cauvery protest meeting on Monday.
Police booked Udhayanidhi under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 61, 79, 192, 196, 296(b), 351(2), and 352, along with Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
Reacting after being taken into custody, Udhayanidhi denied making any derogatory remarks and alleged that his speech had been deliberately distorted through edited video clips.
“They have propagated fake news 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 told reporters, calling the police action a “comedy.”
How the Controversy Began
The controversy stems from Udhayanidhi’s address during a Cauvery protest, where sections of the crowd repeatedly chanted “Trisha, Trisha.” He allegedly responded, “Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there,” before immediately clarifying that he was referring to Cauvery water.
Following the remarks, the women’s wing of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) filed a complaint with the Thanjavur Police, alleging that the DMK leader had made a double-entendre remark targeting actor Trisha.
However, the DMK has strongly rejected the allegation, maintaining that Udhayanidhi’s comments were taken out of context and misrepresented. The party has asserted that his remarks were aimed at the government’s handling of the Cauvery issue and were not directed at any individual.