Chennai, August 4: MK Stalin, the leader of the DMK and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, strongly condemned the arrest of opposition leader Udayanidhi Stalin on Tuesday. He accused the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister Vijay, of using police action to divert public attention from its alleged failures regarding the Cauvery water dispute.
Stalin stated that Udayanidhi had raised several questions about the government’s handling of the Cauvery issue. He claimed that the government has failed to ensure adequate water supply for Tamil Nadu and has not acted against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project. He emphasized that farmers are distressed, yet the Chief Minister and his ministers have not provided satisfactory answers to the opposition’s inquiries.
He alleged that the arrest of Udayanidhi was a tactic to distract the public from the Cauvery dispute.
On Tuesday morning, a police team arrived at Udayanidhi’s residence in Chennai and arrested him in connection with a case related to remarks made during a DMK protest in Thanjavur.
Stalin raised concerns about the timing of the arrest, noting that the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s budget session is set to begin on Wednesday. He suggested that the government deliberately arrested Udayanidhi a day before the session to prevent him from participating in the proceedings as the opposition leader.
Following the arrest, protests erupted across the state by DMK workers. The government later informed the Madras High Court that there was no intention to keep Udayanidhi in custody and that he would be released after questioning.
He questioned why Udayanidhi was taken from Chennai to Thanjavur if the police only intended to conduct a routine inquiry. He also expressed objections to the serious charges, including non-bailable offenses, filed against him.
Stalin welcomed the Madras High Court’s directive to release Udayanidhi after questioning, describing it as a setback for the alleged authoritarianism of the Tamil Nadu government.
Targeting Chief Minister Vijay, Stalin accused him of focusing more on social media than fulfilling promises made to the public since taking office. He urged the Chief Minister to take his responsibilities seriously and focus on governance.
Stalin also demanded the immediate release of DMK workers arrested in protests against Udayanidhi’s arrest, warning that arrogance in governance often leads to political downfall.
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