In a dramatic development, a day after Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Udhaya Nidhi Stalin, who allegedly made very obscene un parliamentary comments on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and actress Trisha, police arrested him. HC while hearing a bail petition directed the police do not take any coercive action till application is heard.
Police team led by the joint commissioner of police Dr P Vijayakumar took Udayanidhi Stalin in a police vehicle for questioning. The vehicle is headed on ECR towards Thiruvanmiyur.
Meanwhile, Madras High Court has given an oral instruction not to apprehend Udayanidhi Stalin in… pic.twitter.com/uorWJtdtIJ
— A Selvaraj (@Crime_Selvaraj) August 4, 2026
Udhaya Nidhi, who courted controversy wanted destruction of Sana Tana Dharma and facing multiple cases in HCs and SC, has been taken into police custody over his remarks widely interpreted as a sexually suggestive reference to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s friendship with a popular Tamil actor.
After waiting outside Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Chennai Neelankarai residence amid negotiations between the police and the DMK’s legal team, finally the police took him into custody around 11 AM on August 4 ( Tuesday).
Following his arrest, Udhayanidhi was reportedly taken to Thanjavur, where he is expected to be questioned in connection with the case registered over his controversial remarks at a Cauvery protest meeting.
Talking to media persons soon after his arrest, Udhaya Nidhi said “I am being arrested for things I never said. The case is an attempt to divert public attention from real issues. Everyone in the government – from the Chief Minister to the ministers – is living in reels. Police action against me is a “comedy” and that I will fight it legally.
According to FIR filed in Thanjavur East Police Station against Udhayanidhi Stalin invoking a sweeping array of criminal provisions including charges criminal conspiracy (Section 61 BNS), promoting enmity between groups (Section 196), provoking riots (Section 192), insulting the modesty of a woman (Section 79), obscene utterances in a public place (Section 296(b)), criminal intimidation (Section 351(2)), intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace (Section 352), Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act relating to the electronic publication or transmission of obscene material.
Addressing a protest meeting in Thanjavur on August 3, Udhayanidhi criticised the TVK government over the it’s failure to secure Cauvery water from Karnataka. A section of the party cadre shouted the name of a prominent Tamil actor, widely perceived to be a close friend of Vijay. Pausing his speech and smiling at the crowd, Udhayanidhi made the ostensibly sexually coloured remarks, cuss word in Tamil, a double entendre.
த்ரிஷா.. த்ரிஷா.. கத்திய திமுக தொண்டர்கள் | சர்ச்சையை கிளப்பிய உதயநிதியின் பேச்சு | #Udhayanithistalin | #DMKFails | #TVK | #CMJosephVijay | #Trisha | #DMKFailsTN | pic.twitter.com/vbG2sRCx2m
— Shreemedia (@Shreetv_media) August 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan of Madras High Court has given an oral instruction not to apprehend Udayanidhi Stalin in the case, as his counsel has sought the court for an urgent hearing over the issue. The court is taking up the matter for hearing post lunch.
TN BJP senior spokesmen Naryanan Tirupathi in a post in X said “Udayanidhi 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 these Nonsense while these wicked people, who call themselves the “Dravidian Model,” speak this way in public. Arresting and imprisoning Udayanidhi Stalin for this low-grade speech would bring more credit to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay (TVK Vijay) than arresting Markandeyan. Let us see whether the courts punish this speech or grant bail.
DMK leader @Office_of_Udhay Udayanidhi Stalin’s double-meaning speech about @CMOTamilnadu Chief Minister @TVKVijayHQ Vijay and @trishtrashers in Thanjavur is disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful.
Truly, even a rogue or thief who has a mother, wife, and daughter would not…
— Narayanan Thirupathy (@narayanantbjp) August 3, 2026
In another post, he said “I wholeheartedly welcome the arrest of Udayanidhi Stalin today. It is definitely a bold step by the Tamil Nadu police and I hope this arrest would be lesson to others who is not bothered about the dignity of women. Now it is for the courts to decide whether freedom of speech is more than the dignity of women.
https://x.com/narayanantbjp/status/2084521915126091843?s=20
Former BJP spokesperson ANS Prasad in his complaint to TN DGP said “… By making a vulgar double-entendre speech centred on water – the livelihood of Tamil Nadu’s farmers and the life-source of the people of Tamil Nadu – in a manner that demeans women, and by crossing all limits of ridicule and mockery to the extent of saying “Why, da, I was speaking about the Cauvery,” thereby insulting Mother Cauvery, the life-line of Tamil Nadu, the Leader of the Opposition #UdhayanidhiStalin has, with deliberate intent, insulted the Hon’ble Chief Minister Vijay, actress Trisha, and womanhood itself in an obscene manner, and has also demeaned Mother Cauvery. The Tamil Nadu Police must take appropriate action in this regard.
தமிழகத்தின் ஜீவநாடி #காவிரி அன்னையை அவமதித்த #எதிர்க்கட்சித்தலைவர் #உதயநிதிஸ்டாலின் தமிழக மக்களிடம் தன்னுடைய ஆபாச பேச்சுக்களுக்கு பகிரங்க மன்னிப்பு கேட்க வேண்டும்.
பெண்ணினத்தையே, பெண் தெய்வத்தையே அவமதித்த உதயநிதி ஸ்டாலின் மீது #தமிழகமுதல்வர் #விஜய் சட்டப்படி உடனடியாக… pic.twitter.com/io8af3V31F
— ANS PRASAD (@ANSPRASADBJP) August 4, 2026
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said Udhayanidhi Stalin’s Speech and Arrest Condemnable: The Ruling Party and the Opposition Should Pursue Constructive Politics!
Udhayanidhi Stalin's Speech and Arrest Condemnable: The Ruling Party and the
Opposition Should Pursue Constructive Politics!Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested this morning over certain remarks he made about Chief Minister Vijay during yesterday's protest in…
— Dr ANBUMANI RAMADOSS (@draramadoss) August 4, 2026
He said “…Tamil Nadu is facing numerous issues that require immediate attention. The ruling party and the opposition should focus their efforts on resolving those problems rather than engaging in actions of this nature”.
