The arrest of Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday triggered a major political row in Tamil Nadu, with the DMK accusing the Vijay-led government of using state machinery to target its political rivals. The party alleged that the arrest was intended to stop Udhayanidhi from attending the Legislative Assembly session scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

DMK MP Kanimozhi strongly criticised the government and described the arrest as an act of political vendetta. She alleged that the ruling party was trying to silence the Opposition instead of facing it politically. In a post on X, she said, "If the government wants to personally take revenge against LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin, let it file a case. Let the court deliver its verdict. But, lacking the courage to confront the DMK as an opposition party, for the government to resort to such oppressive tactics is against the law. Arresting the Leader of Opposition in this way, solely to prevent him from participating in the Assembly session starting tomorrow, is blatant cowardice."

Police detained Udhayanidhi Stalin from his residence in Neelankarai and took him away in a bus. He is expected to be taken to Thanjavur in connection with a remark he allegedly made during a public rally on the Cauvery water dispute held there a day earlier.

During the rally, sections of the audience reportedly began chanting "Trisha, Trisha" while Udhayanidhi was addressing the gathering. He briefly paused and allegedly responded, "Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there," before clarifying that he was referring to the Cauvery water. The remark soon sparked controversy, with opponents claiming it carried a double meaning involving actor Trisha Krishnan.

The issue quickly gained political attention. Workers and supporters of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) staged protests against Udhayanidhi Stalin in Coimbatore. The party's women's wing also filed a complaint at the Thanjavur police station on Monday. The complaint alleged that the DMK leader had made a double-entendre remark targeting the actor.

The ruling camp also criticised Udhayanidhi over the controversy. TVK MLA Rhevanth Charan strongly condemned the alleged statement and accused the DMK leadership of lowering the standards of political discourse. He said, "Absolutely disgusting. Passing such disgraceful comments against anyone is completely unacceptable. It exposes the mindset, political culture, and declining standards of the Arivalayam clan. Your announced protest collapsed even before it could begin. Now, desperate for attention, you have resorted to cheap provocation and engagement farming. This is precisely why the people of Tamil Nadu rejected you and confined you to the position you are in today. Continue with this arrogance and indecency, and you will soon be erased from public relevance altogether. Even by Arivalayam's already abysmal standards, this is a new low."

MDMK Principal Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Durai Vaiko also criticised the alleged remark. He said the focus of the rally should have remained on the Cauvery water dispute and the hardships faced by farmers in Tamil Nadu. He said, "The issue was about Cauvery and the sufferings of the Tamil Nadu farmers. It is highly condemnable that the Opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin has uttered such derogatory comments. It goes against women. I condemn it. It was not a stage to settle personal scores. It is unfortunate."

The DMK, however, rejected the allegations and defended its leader. Senior party leader and DMK MP TR Baalu dismissed the claims that Udhayanidhi had referred to actor Trisha. He maintained that the controversy was based on false accusations. Speaking to reporters, Baalu said, "He has not mentioned any word about the particular woman. It is all false."

The arrest has further intensified the political confrontation between the ruling TVK government and the Opposition DMK. The timing of the police action has become a key point of contention, with the DMK insisting that the move was politically motivated and aimed at keeping its leader away from the Assembly proceedings. The ruling party, on the other hand, has defended the action while its leaders continue to criticise Udhayanidhi over the alleged remark made during the Thanjavur rally.

The controversy has now moved beyond the original comments made at the Cauvery meeting and developed into a larger political battle between the state's two major parties. With the Assembly session set to begin, the arrest and the allegations surrounding Udhayanidhi Stalin are expected to remain at the centre of Tamil Nadu's political discourse in the coming days.