Vijay govt treated me like terrorist: Stalin Jr says no intention to insult women

DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin accused the TVK government of treating him "like a terrorist" after his detention in the Trisha remarks case, alleging a political vendetta and insisting he never made derogatory comments about women.

In Short

• Police deployed 3,000 personnel to take him from Chennai to Thanjavur for questioning
• He called the case politically motivated to divert attention from larger issues
• Stalin denied insulting women and expressed respect for all women in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday accused the ruling TVK government of treating him "like a terrorist" after he was released on bail in connection with a case over his alleged remarks during a public meeting, which the complainants claim alluded to actor Trisha, a close friend and confidante of actor-turned-Chief Minister Vijay.

Addressing a press conference after his release, Stalin alleged that the police action was at odds with the Tamil Nadu government's stand before the Madras High Court, where it had said it had no intention of arresting him. "In court, the government lawyer stated that they had no intention of arresting me. However, under the pretext of taking me away for interrogation, they deployed nearly 3,000 police personnel using public money and took me from Chennai to Thanjavur by road as though I were a terrorist," he said.

The DMK leader claimed he was not treated properly during the process, alleging that instead of being taken directly to Thanjavur, he was first taken to the Sengipatti Police Station, where he was questioned for several hours before being released on station bail. Later, Udhayanidhi reached his home in Chennai late at night and was greeted by hundreds of DMK supporters.

Calling the case politically motivated, Stalin accused the government of using the controversy to divert attention from more pressing issues. "The government is using a diversionary tactic. They have claimed I said something that I never said," he alleged.

Rejecting the allegations, Stalin insisted that he had neither intended nor attempted to insult women. "I did not speak with any wrong intentions. I had no intention of speaking about women in a derogatory manner. I did not mean to demean women. I don't have that intention in my mind," he said.

Emphasising his respect for women, Stalin added, "I have a wife, a daughter and a sister. All women in Tamil Nadu are like my mothers and sisters. I will not be intimidated by this false case."

He also expressed disappointment over criticism from some political leaders, saying they had condemned his remarks without listening to his entire speech. "Without hearing everything I said, some leaders claimed I had spoken wrongly. That has hurt me because I did not say anything wrong," he said.

Udhayanidhi Stalin was detained earlier in the day in connection with a case registered over an alleged "double-meaning" remark made during a DMK protest on the Cauvery issue in Thanjavur. After questioning at the Sengipatti Police Station, he was released on station bail.

The case was registered following complaints by TVK leaders, who alleged that Stalin's remarks alluded to actor Trisha and outraged the modesty of a woman. Stalin has denied the allegations, maintaining that his remarks have been misrepresented.

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