TAMIL NADU, (India): After several hours of grilling, Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin was on Tuesday (Aug 4) night released on station bail in connection with the alleged offensive remarks against actress Trisha Krishnan.
Hundreds of DMK supporters had gathered outside the Sengipatti police station where Stalin was held after his arrest earlier Wednesday (Aug 5).
They accorded him a grand welcome, chanting slogans against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and his TVK government.
Addressing a press conference after the release, Stalin said he didn't disrespect any woman and that his arrest was part of CM Vijay's diversion tactics.
"I did not speak with any wrongful or malicious intent. I was arrested by this disgraceful government simply for speaking in support of farmers. I reiterate that I am not afraid of this arrest. Some people have alleged that my remarks carried a double meaning. I categorically deny that allegation. My words had only one meaning, and I never intended. I do not consider this to be a government in the true sense; I see it as nothing more than a circus. When this government looks at DMK legislators, its first instinct is to arrest them," he said.
Why was Udhayanidhi Stalin arrested?
During a recent DMK protest in Thanjavur, Stalin, who is former deputy chief minister of Tamil nadu, was criticising CM Vijay over the Cauvery water dispute and Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu project when one of his supporters in the gathering chanted the name of Trisha, a popular Tamil actress believed to be close to CM Vijay.
Hearing her name, Stalin paused a bit, smiled and said, “Wherever water comes, whether it comes or not, water should come there.”
The remarks were perceived by many as carrying a sexual innuendo, prompting a scathing response from the ruling TVK, which alleged that the remarks amounted to “verbal harassment” and objectification of a woman.
The TVK also approached the National Commission for Women and filed a formal police complaint against the DMK leader, who was arrested by the police from his Chennai home today.These changes correct the spelling, grammar, and syntax while preserving the original meaning and journalistic style. - The Statesman/ANN
