Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested from his Chennai residence on Tuesday after his remarks about actor Trisha at a public rally sparked a political controversy.

The arrest comes a day after comments made by the DMK leader during a protest meeting in Thanjavur drew criticism from political parties, leading to complaints and demands for legal action.

Udhayanidhi calls arrest a ‘joke’

Udhayanidhi Stalin was seen smiling as police escorted him from his residence following the arrest. Speaking briefly, he described the police action as a “joke” and said he would challenge it through legal means.

Controversy began during Thanjavur rally

The controversy began during a protest gathering over the Cauvery water dispute in Thanjavur on Monday.

While criticising Chief Minister Joseph Vijay over the state’s water concerns, members of the crowd shouted actor Trisha’s name. Udhayanidhi paused his speech and responded with what critics described as an offensive double entendre, triggering widespread backlash.

DMK alleges political vendetta

The DMK criticised the arrest and alleged that it was politically motivated.

Party leader TKS Elangovan said Udhayanidhi had only highlighted the Chief Minister’s failures and had neither insulted anyone nor mentioned Trisha by name. According to the party, the arrest amounts to political vendetta.

TVK defends action, says issue is about insulting a woman

Rejecting the DMK’s allegations, TVK leader Americai Narayanan said the arrest was not linked to criticism of the Chief Minister or the party.

According to him, the action was taken because Udhayanidhi allegedly insulted a woman through his remarks. He also criticised the DMK leader over the controversy.

Earlier, TVK had submitted a complaint to the National Commission for Women (NCW) seeking action against Udhayanidhi Stalin. The party also filed a police complaint.

In its complaint, TVK alleged that Udhayanidhi used offensive, double-meaning remarks and vulgar innuendos targeting a prominent female public figure. The party further stated that such remarks normalise the objectification and verbal harassment of women in public spaces.

BJP also demanded arrest

The Tamil Nadu BJP had also demanded Udhayanidhi Stalin’s arrest over the remarks.

State BJP chief spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy described the comments as “disgusting, obscene, vulgar, and shameful” and said legal action against the DMK leader would be appropriate.

Similar controversy in the past

The controversy has once again brought attention to repeated public remarks involving actor Trisha in political debates.

According to the source, since rumours about Vijay and Trisha’s relationship surfaced, political and film personalities have made comments about the actor on multiple occasions.

Earlier this year, Tamil Nadu BJP leader Nainar Nagendran had remarked that Vijay should “come out of Trisha’s house” before entering politics. Trisha’s legal team had responded to those comments at the time.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Parliamentary Party is scheduled to hold its ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting on Tuesday at the Parliament Library Building (PLB) to finalise the ruling alliance’s floor strategy for the remaining 10 days of the Monsoon Session.

According to a note circulated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Parliament, all NDA members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been requested to attend the meeting and reach the venue on time. The programme will begin at 9:30 am at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate in the meeting along with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, and other NDA Members of Parliament.

‘Mangal Milan’ is NDA’s rebranded weekly strategy session

The ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting is described as the rebranded version of the NDA’s weekly parliamentary party strategy session. It is aimed at promoting constructive discussions and ensuring better coordination among alliance partners during the ongoing Parliament session.

The meeting comes as Parliament continues discussions on key legislative business and government proposals during the Monsoon Session.

Centre introduces Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026

Meanwhile, the Centre on Monday introduced the Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Rao Indrajit Singh introduced the Bill, which seeks to repeal and replace the Indian Statistical Institute Act, 1959, while retaining the institute’s status as an Institution of National Importance.

The proposed legislation aims to convert the existing society into an autonomous statutory body corporate and provide a modern statutory framework for the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

It also seeks to broaden the scope of Statistical Sciences by including fields such as theoretical and applied statistics, mathematics, economics, data science, computer science, other quantitative sciences, quantitative social sciences, and modern technologies including cryptology and related disciplines.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited flood-affected areas in the Nazira, Mahmora and Sonari Assembly constituencies to review the damage caused by the recent floods in Upper Assam. During the visit, he announced that government officials would begin a door-to-door assessment of permanently damaged properties from August 9, after which compensation would be provided to affected families.

This marked the Chief Minister’s second visit to the flood-hit districts of Charaideo and Sivasagar following the latest spell of flooding.

CM interacts with affected residents, reviews relief work

During the tour, Mr Sarma inspected flood-affected locations at Santak, Nepalikhuti and Sundarpukhuri in the Nazira constituency, Chomoni village in Mahmora, and Ward No. 8 of Sonari town. He interacted with residents, reviewed relief measures and assessed the impact of the floods on local communities.

To reach the flood-ravaged Nepalikhuti area of Bihubar under the Nazira constituency, the Chief Minister travelled by tractor. He later visited Shulal Kalita village in Sundarpukhuri, where he discussed the challenges faced by residents and reviewed ongoing relief operations.

Compensation survey to begin from August 9

Addressing flood-affected residents, Mr Sarma said officials would start visiting households from August 9 to assess permanent damage caused by the floods. He said the compensation process would begin after the assessment is completed.

The Chief Minister also announced that health camps would be organised in the affected areas and that the government would extend assistance to help farmers resume agricultural activities. Responding to local demands, he assured residents that steps would be taken to strengthen the Sundarpukhuri embankment.

CM meets bereaved families, promises long-term flood solution

During the visit, Mr Sarma met the family of Nirupama Duwara and her niece Nisha Duwara of Rajapul Duwara village in Nazira, who lost their lives after being swept away during the sudden floods on July 19. He expressed condolences and assured the family of the government’s support.

He also said the state government would work towards finding a permanent solution to recurring floods so that people do not have to face similar devastation in the future.

Financial assistance provided to families of flood victims

In Mahmora constituency, the Chief Minister travelled by boat to Chomoni village to meet stranded residents. At the Sri Sri Hari Namghar, he handed over one-time financial assistance of Rs. 4 lakh each to the next of kin of 14 people who lost their lives in floods affecting the constituency since July 19. The total assistance distributed amounted to Rs. 56 lakh.

He also visited the Sri Sri Gobinda Namghar at Moran Gaon to review the condition of flood-affected residents.

Later, at Jaya Primary School in Ward No. 8 of Sonari town, Mr Sarma distributed textbooks and school uniforms to students affected by the floods. He also provided Rs. 5 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the families of five people who died in the recent floods in the area.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika, Industries and Commerce Minister Bimal Bora, along with local MLAs Taranga Gogoi, Mayur Borahgohain, Suruj Dihingia and Dharmeswar Konwar, accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit.