Chennai: “Based on the complaint filed on behalf of TVK, the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin is strongly condemnable. When he did not directly mention any individual’s name, arresting him by taking an implied meaning is not acceptable. Therefore, Udhayanidhi Stalin should be released immediately,” said Krishnasamy, the leader of the New Tamilagam party, urging.
In a statement issued regarding this, he said, “The arrest of Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin today, based on a complaint filed by the TVK alleging that he spoke in an ‘objectionable – obscene’ manner at a meeting held in Thanjavur on 03.08.2026 on behalf of the DMK regarding the Cauvery issue, which is the lifeline of the delta districts, is strongly condemnable.
When he did not directly mention any individual by name, filing a case against Udhayanidhi or arresting him on an implied meaning is not appropriate. If one begins to read between the lines of every speech made by opposition leaders on stage and attribute ulterior motives, one would end up filing hundreds of cases every day.
Moreover, while fighting for the Cauvery issue, which is vital to the livelihood of Tamils, Udhayanidhi Stalin should have condemned the unnecessary personal slogans raised by party workers; likewise, he too should have avoided words that could be interpreted as obscene.
If anyone’s feelings were hurt by the speech being broadcast as having been made by Udhayanidhi, they could have asked him to apologize or express regret. If he still refused, they could have filed a defamation suit; instead, registering a case under 9 sections and arresting him over a single word is unacceptable in any way, and this would also set a wrong precedent.
Moreover, with the budget session set to begin tomorrow, attempting to arrest and imprison the Leader of the Opposition would be seen as an act that undermines democratic values. Therefore, I strongly urge, on behalf of the New Tamil Nadu party, that Udhayanidhi Stalin be released immediately,” he said.
