A video from inside the Chennai residence of Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin has surfaced, showing the moments before police took him into custody on Tuesday over his controversial 'Trisha' remarks made during a DMK protest on the Cauvery water dispute.
In the footage, Udhayanidhi's wife, filmmaker and writer Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi, is seen speaking to police officers and requesting them to wait, saying her husband was still in the washroom.
The video shows police personnel waiting inside the residence as they sought to meet Udhayanidhi before taking him into custody. One officer is heard saying they had already been waiting for a long time and insisted that they were only performing their official duty without violating the law.
Kiruthiga responded by telling the officers that Udhayanidhi was getting ready and requested them to allow him a little more time, explaining that he was in the toilet.
Tamil Nadu minister Ma Subramaniam, who was also present at the residence, appealed to the police to delay the custody by a few more minutes, arguing that whether Udhayanidhi was taken away at 9.30 am, 10.30 am or 11 am would make little difference, except that a larger crowd could gather as time passed.
The police officer, however, maintained that the team could not continue waiting indefinitely. He said they had repeatedly been told to wait for another 10 minutes and emphasised that the officers were carrying out their lawful responsibilities. He added that if anyone could point out a legal violation, he would accept it, but otherwise they should be allowed to perform their duties.
Subramaniam again requested the officers to wait another 10 minutes until Udhayanidhi came out of the bathroom, adding that advocate Saravanan would also arrive by then.
He further argued that since Udhayanidhi was being taken to Thanjavur, a journey of nearly eight hours, he should be allowed to complete his morning routine before leaving. In response, the police officer again asked whether the officers were violating any law.
The police action stems from Udhayanidhi's speech at a DMK-led protest in Thanjavur on August 3 over the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. During the event, he made a double-meaning remark after sections of the crowd repeatedly chanted actor Trisha's name, sparking widespread political controversy and multiple complaints.
Tamil Nadu Police have registered an FIR against Udhayanidhi under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to insulting the modesty of a woman, intentional insult intended to provoke a breach of peace, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy.
The FIR also includes Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 2002, along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for allegedly transmitting obscene material electronically.
The controversy has further intensified the political confrontation in Tamil Nadu, with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, approaching the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against the DMK leader.
While the BJP and TVK have accused Udhayanidhi of insulting women through his remarks, the DMK has rejected the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated attempts to divert attention from the Cauvery issue and target the opposition ahead of the upcoming Assembly session.
