'Insulting Woman's Modesty, Provoking Riot': The Legal Charges Against Udhayanidhi Stalin Over Remarks On Actor Trisha

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was taken into custody at his residence following widespread backlash over a controversial comment directed at actor Trisha.

The arrest stems from intense political fallout and formal complaints regarding an innuendo made by the DMK leader during a political demonstration on Monday.

The charges levied against Stalin Junior under the Bharatiya Nyaya include-

• Section 196: Promoting enmity, hatred
• Section 192: Provoking riot
• Section 352: Intentional insult
• Section 79: Acts, words or gestures intended to insult the modesty of a woman
• Section 296 (b): Obscene acts and songs in public
• Section 61: Criminal conspiracy
• Section 351 (2): Criminal intimidation

Additionally, Udhayanidhi Stalin faces charges under Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act, which addresses the harassment of women in public or private spaces, as well as Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which penalizes the publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form.

'Fake News Being Propagated'

Udhayanidhi Stalin alleged that a "fake narrative" was created against him.

Speaking to reporters following his detention, Udhayanidhi denied making any derogatory remarks and said the controversy was the result of edited and misleading content being circulated.

"They have propagated fake news by 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," Udhayanidhi Stalin said." He said the police action against him was a "comedy".

What's the row?

The controversy erupted after Udhayanidhi, while addressing the gathering, was interrupted by sections of the crowd chanting "Trisha, Trisha." Pausing briefly, he allegedly remarked, "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there," before clarifying that he was referring to the Cauvery water.

Following the remarks, the women's wing of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) lodged a complaint at the Thanjavur police station, alleging that the DMK leader made a double-entendre remark targeting actor Trisha.

Udhayanidhi's remarks also triggered sharp political reactions, with BJP and TVK leaders demanding an apology from Udhayanidhi, while the DMK has maintained that his comments have been misrepresented and did not refer to any individual.