Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition (LoP) and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin has come under fire over a remark made during a public meeting in Thanjavur on the Cauvery water issue. He was detained from his residence by the Tamil Nadu police on Tuesday. The action was taken following an FIR against him over his alleged defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Vijay and the actress Trisha Krishnan.
Why Is Udhayanidhi Stalin Facing Criticism Now?
While addressing a rally in Thanjavur on Monday, Stalin was briefly interrupted when sections of the crowd began chanting "Trisha, Trisha." Pausing mid-speech, he reportedly quipped, "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there," before quickly clarifying that his remark was strictly a reference to the Cauvery River. However, the comment drew sharp reactions from TVK and other party leaders, who said the comment was an indirect reference to Trisha. The DMK, however, denied the allegation, saying no such reference was made.
Not The First Instance
This is not the first time that a row has erupted over Stalin’s remarks. The leader has repeatedly sparked political storms through his public remarks. He first came to light in April 2021, just before making electoral debut. During an election campaign rally, Stalin triggered widespread outrage after he claimed that former Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley passed away due to the “mental pressure” and “torture” exerted on them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP had strongly condemned his remarks.
ALSO READ: 'Udhayanidhi's Words Unacceptable': Congress-DMK War Erupts Over Alliance With Vijay's TVK
Remarks On VK Sasikala, 2021
In the same year, he had drawn widespread condemnation for a derogatory remark targeting AIPTMMK leader VK Sasikala. Speaking at a campaign rally, Stalin claimed that Edappadi Karuppa Palaniswami (EPS) "crawled like a dead body" and fell at Sasikala's feet to attain power. He had received heavy backlashes, especially from women’s rights groups and AIADMK leaders.
Sanatan Dharma Controversy, 2023
In 2023, while speaking at the Sanatana Abolition Conference, Stalin had sparked massive nationwide outrage after comparing "Sanatana Dharma" to infectious diseases like malaria and dengue. He stated that instead of just merely opposing, it (Sanatan Dharma) should be entirely "eradicated.” Stalin said, “There are some things that we have to eradicate and we can’t merely oppose. Mosquitoes, dengue, corona, and malaria are things that we cannot oppose, we have to eradicate them. Sanatanam is also like this."
Language Remarks, November 2025
Stalin again sparked a major controversy after publicly labeling Sanskrit a "dead language". He made the remarks on November 21, 2025, while criticising the Union government for alleged funding discrimination favoring Sanskrit over Tamil.