TVK intimidating Udhayanidhi; doesn’t want him in assembly tomorrow: MK Stalin

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin criticized Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday, alleging that the latter was detaining opposition members who criticize him and the government. This came after the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition and son of DMK founder M K Stalin, in Thanjavur following an FIR over his remarks about Tamil film actress Trisha Krishnan.

Stalin accused the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of arresting Udhayanidhi and bringing him to Thanjavur to intimidate him, stating that they were using various sections of the law to stifle opposition. He noted that the protest by DMK in Thanjavur on Monday highlighted the rage of Tamil Nadu against the TVK government's inability to manage river Cauvery water, as well as their incompetence in stopping the Mekedatu dam project.

Stalin argued that an incompetent Chief Minister cannot solve such issues, while ministers are more preoccupied with personal matters like attending their party's movie screenings. He questioned the government's decision to arrest Udhayanidhi, asking why they couldn't have questioned him in Chennai instead of transporting him to Thanjavur.

Stalin alleged that the government is backtracking due to public backlash and attempting to cover up their actions, emphasizing that the Madras High Court's order demanding Udhayanidhi's immediate release exposes the TVK government's fascist tendencies. He further accused the TVK of suppressing student and youth protests against the National Education Policy (NEET) and of dismantling Chennai's Marina beach, all in the name of fascism.

Stalin insisted that Udhayanidhi's speech was not obscene or disrespectful, and would apologize if any mistake was made. He demanded the release of DMK party cadres detained across the state for protesting. General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) noted that the government's attempt to arrest the opposition leader ahead of the assembly session tomorrow suggests a political motive.

He condemned the TVK's actions for attempting to stall the assembly proceedings by preventing the person holding the position of Leader of the Opposition from attending.