Police Detain Udhayanidhi Stalin Over Alleged Remarks About Actress

Tamil Nadu police detained Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition, at his Chennai residence on August 4, 2026. The action follows a First Information Report filed after Stalin allegedly made vulgar and objectifying double-entendre remarks during a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) protest rally in Thanjavur on Monday.

During the rally, which focused on the Cauvery water dispute and agricultural loan waivers, supporters began chanting the name of actress Trisha. Stalin allegedly responded by saying, "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there," before claiming he was referring to the river. While Stalin denied any wrongdoing and sought anticipatory bail from the Madras High Court, he was booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the IT Act, and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.

The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, condemned the speech as offensive and petitioned the National Commission for Women for an unconditional public apology. The BJP also denounced the comments as disgusting. Conversely, the DMK dismissed the controversy as a politically motivated attempt to divert public attention from the plight of farmers in the Cauvery delta. TVK MLA Rhevanth Charan described the conduct as a sign of the declining standards of the DMK leadership.