Chennai: In the “double meaning” speech controversy, after DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested, thousands of DMK members who took part in road blockades and protests across Tamil Nadu condemning the action against him were also arrested.
Tiruchi: In Tiruchi, more than a hundred DMK members gathered near the Central Bus Stand and staged a protest under the leadership of DMK city secretary and Corporation Mayor M. Anbazhagan. They then went on to block the road. Following this, police arrested more than 100 people.
Similarly, near Vannangovil, Ramji Nagar police arrested more than a hundred DMK members led by former MLA Palaniyandi.
Kumbakonam: A road blockade protest was held in Kumbakonam in front of the Uchi Pillaiyar Temple on behalf of the DMK. The protest was led by Deputy Mayor and DMK city secretary S.P. Tamilazhagan. A large number of people, including former district panchayat committee vice chairman Muthுச்செல்வன் and councillors Murugan and Anantharaman, participated and raised slogans of condemnation.
When the police tried to arrest them, an argument broke out between the police and the DMK members. As a result, traffic in Kumbakonam was affected for a few hours.

Kumbakonam protest
Kanchipuram: A protest demonstration and road blockade were held by the DMK at the Periyar Pillar area in Kanchipuram. During the protest, they raised strong slogans condemning the TVK government and the police department. Due to the protest, traffic in the area was disrupted for a short while. Police arrested 200 DMK functionaries who took part in the protest and confined them in a private hall.
In this road blockade protest, former MLA C.V.M.P. Ezhilarasan, Kanchipuram Municipal Corporation Mayor Mahalakshmi, City Secretary C.K.V. Tamilselvan, and several others took part. Similarly, in the Uthiramerur area, DMK members staged a road blockade protest under the leadership of former MLA Sundar.

Kanchipuram protest
Thoothukudi: A road blockade protest was held in front of the old bus stand in Thoothukudi by the DMK’s Thoothukudi North district unit. Former minister Geetha Jeevan, city secretary Anandasekaran, and many other DMK members took part and raised slogans against the TVK government and the police department. Police arrested 100 people, including Geetha Jeevan, who sat on the road and took part in the blockade, and kept them in a private hall.
Srivilliputhur: In protest against the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin, former MP Danush Kumar and DMK functionaries led by town secretary Ayyavu Pandian took out a procession from the Theradi of the Andal temple and, in front of the bus stand, DMK members raised slogans condemning Chief Minister Vijay, beat his portrait with slippers, and staged a road blockade protest. Following this, police arrested more than 50 DMK functionaries, including the former MP.

Thoothukudi protest
Tanjavur: Condemning the arrest of Udhayanidhi, DMK members marched in procession from the railway station to the Anna statue near the old bus stand and staged a road blockade there. A large number of DMK members took part in the protest, including MLAs Durai. Chandrasekaran and R. Vaithilingam, former MLAs TKG. Neelamegam and M. Ramachandran, Mayor (in-charge) Anjugam Bhoopathy, and City Secretary San. Ramanathan.
At that time, DMK members burned an effigy of Chief Minister Vijay and staged a protest against Vijay and against the Tamil Nadu government.

Tanjavur protest
At the same time, the TVK women’s wing staged a protest near the Panagal Building condemning Udhayanidhi Stalin. A large number of people, including TVK MLA R. Vijayasaravanan, took part in the protest. Following this, DMK members and TVK members shouted at each other and threw slippers and stones. This caused a major commotion in the area.
Thiruvallur: On the Avadi-Poonamallee highway, more than 30 DMK members, including former minister S.M. Nassar and former MLA A. Krishnasamy, staged a road blockade protest. Similarly, DMK members also took part in road blockade protests in the Thiruvallur and Gummidipoondi areas.

Thiruvallur protest
Virudhunagar: The road blockade protest held by the DMK in front of the old bus stand in Virudhunagar was led by former ministers Sathur Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu. Police arrested more than 100 people who took part in the protest.
Similarly, 550 DMK members who took part in road blockades in Aruppukkottai, Sathur, Vathirayiruppu, Thalavaipuram, Rajapalayam, and Sivakasi were arrested.
Why was Udhayanidhi arrested?
A protest was held in Thanjavur yesterday by the DMK, alleging that the TVK government led by Chief Minister Vijay had failed to stop the Karnataka government's attempt to build the Mekedatu dam. Opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, who took part in it, reportedly made a double-meaning remark about Chief Minister Vijay. It is said that he used defamatory remarks against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and obscene words targeting women.
In this situation, a complaint was filed with the National Commission for Women in Delhi, demanding action against Udhayanidhi over his double-meaning remarks. Bairavi, the central district organizer of the TVK in Thanjavur, had lodged the complaint with the Thanjavur district police. Based on this, Thanjavur district police have registered a case against Opposition Leader and DMK MLA Udhayanidhi under six sections.

Virudhunagar protest
A case has been registered against Udhayanidhi Stalin at the Thanjavur East Police Station under Sections 196, 192, 352, 79, 296(b), 61, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita; Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act; and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
In connection with this case, while the Thanjavur district police had taken steps to arrest Udhayanidhi, who was in Chennai, Udhayanidhi’s side approached the Madras High Court seeking anticipatory bail. After hearing the petition, Judge G.K. Ilanthiraiyan had said that the plea would be heard in the afternoon and had instructed that no arrest action be taken until then. Meanwhile, the police officers who arrested him took him to Thanjavur.
Later, when Udhayanidhi’s anticipatory bail petition came up for hearing in the afternoon, Advocate General Vijay Narayan appeared on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government. At that time, he stated, “The Leader of the Opposition has been arrested and is being taken to Thanjavur, and he will be released after questioning at the police station.”
After recording this, the judge ordered that the inquiry be completed and he be released today itself, and that the hearing should not be extended until tomorrow. The judge also ordered Udhayanidhi to extend full cooperation to the police investigation.
News compilation:
N. Madhavan, C.S. Arumugam, Re. Joyson, A. Gopalakrishnan, I. Manikandan, Ira. Nagarajan, V. Sundarraj
