Udhayanidhi Stalin set to walk free as TN govt says it has no intent to remand him
Former Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is set to walk free on Tuesday, August 4, after questioning by Thanjavur police as the state government submitted in the Madras High Court that it has no intent to remand him.
When the bail petition of Udhayanidhi came up for hearing before Justice G K Illanthiraiyan, Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted that the government has no intention of remanding the Leader of Opposition and said he would be released on station bail today itself after questioning.
The government submitted that the DMK leader must cooperate with the police in the investigation into the case, which involves allegations of making innuendos and insulting the modesty of a woman.
Recording the Advocate General's submissions, the court closed Udhayanidhi's bail plea.
Party sources said an anticipatory bail petition was filed immediately after police arrived at Udhayanidhi's Neelankarai residence for questioning him in connection with his remarks made at a protest meeting on the Cauvery issue on Monday at Thanjavur.
However, the leader of the opposition was subsequently arrested and taken to Thanjavur for questioning.
Widespread protests erupted across Tamil Nadu soon after.
The leader of the opposition was taken into custody from his residence in Neelankarai, Chennai, on August 4, morning by a police team from East Thanjavur. His arrest immediately triggered protests by DMK cadres, disrupting normal life in several parts of the state.
In Karur, DMK members staged a sit-in protest near the old bus stand.
Party workers also blocked roads in Tiruvannamalai to condemn the police action. Similar protests were held in Salem and Madurai. In Thanjavur, protesters burned an effigy of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in protest against the arrest.
The political friction led to the detention of other leaders, as well. In Theni, police arrested senior DMK leader O Panneerselvam while he was participating in a protest condemning Udhayanidhi's arrest.
Tamil Nadu Minister for School Education and Tamil Development Rajmohan alleged in a post on X that DMK members had attacked members of the public.
"The sight of DMK members brutally assaulting a two-wheeler rider who urged them not to block the road and inconvenience the public is shocking," he wrote.
Calling the incident unacceptable, the minister said the "law will do its duty."
The controversy stems from a demonstration led by Udhayanidhi in Thanjavur on August 3 over the Cauvery water dispute.
During the protest, the DMK demanded that the ruling TVK take decisive steps to stop Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu reservoir project, waive farmers' loans in full, and declare the delta districts drought-hit.
During his address, a section of the crowd chanted actor Trisha's name. Udhayanidhi responded with a remark that political opponents, including state BJP leaders and the TVK, condemned as an objectionable double entendre.
Following the speech, a TVK national spokesperson submitted a representation to the National Commission for Women, seeking its intervention, an unconditional public apology from Udhayanidhi, and the registration of a police case under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.