{
  "id": 123713,
  "title": "From Sanatana row to alleged remarks against Trisha: The many controversies of Udhayanidhi Stalin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/from-sanatana-row-to-alleged-remarks-against-trisha-the-many",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T08:49:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/from-sanatana-row-to-alleged-remarks-against-trisha-the-many-controversies-of-udhayanidhi-stalin-101785823994883.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Tamil Nadu opposition leader and DMK member, has faced numerous controversies throughout his political career. Recently, he was detained for allegedly making disparaging remarks about actor Trisha Krishnan. However, this is not the first time his statements have caused a stir.\n\nIn 2023, Stalin sparked controversy by stating that Sanatana Dharma promotes caste and gender discrimination. He compared the belief to diseases like malaria and dengue at a writers' conference in Chennai. His stance was reiterated during a speech in the Tamil Nadu assembly, where he emphasized the need to focus on systemic social hierarchy rather than individual faiths. This led to allegations of hate speech and a \"cultural genocide of Hindus\" from BJP and Hindu groups. The DMK leader clarified that his aim was to dismantle an \"oppressive ideological framework,\" but he faced legal repercussions as well, with the Supreme Court and Madras High Court criticizing him for hate speech.\n\nStalin's remarks on Sanskrit, described as a \"dead language,\" also drew criticism. In November 2025, he made this statement in opposition to the central government's funding and promotion of Hindi and Sanskrit. The BJP condemned his comments, stating that calling a language dead is inappropriate as it remains alive through daily prayers and cultural rituals. In March 2026, Stalin suggested that Dravidian ideology and Islam are fundamentally the same, making a dig at the BJP and stating that the DMK will continue to support the Muslim community despite BJP attempts to create trouble. These remarks have been criticized by the BJP as minority appeasement.",
  "summary": "As Stalin denies any wrongdoing, this is not the first time his remarks have sparked a row.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Propriety in public discourse: On Udhayanidhi Stalin’s double entendre remarks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/propriety-in-public-discourse-on-udhayanidhi-stalins-double-entendre",
        "published": "2026-08-04T06:15:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Udhayanidhi Stalin's first visuals since detention over Trisha remarks | Watch",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/udhayanidhi-stalins-first-visuals-since-detention-over-trisha-remarks",
        "published": "2026-08-04T06:19:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Viral video: Udhayanidhi Stalin ‘hides in toilet’; police keep waiting to detain him over remarks on Trisha Krishnan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/viral-video-udhayanidhi-stalin-hides-in-toilet-police-keep-waiting-to",
        "published": "2026-08-04T10:50:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}