Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 5 (ANI): DMK leader and senior advocate NR Elango said that the Tamil Nadu government wanted to arrest Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin to “stop” him from attending the Assembly’s Budget session starting from Wednesday.

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Tamil Nadu Police to release Udhayanidhi after completing his questioning in connection with a case registered over his alleged remarks linked to actress Trisha.

“The first Budget session of this government will begin tomorrow. With a view to stop him from coming to the Assembly and raising very important questions, the state government this morning wanted to arrest him,” he said on Tuesday.

The former Rajya Sabha MP further claimed that the government later realised its mistake.

“The state government, realising its mistake at 2:15 PM, said that they want to remand him but take him to Tanjore to examine him and then release him on bail,” he said.

“The court has asked Udhayanidhi Stalin to cooperate with the investigation,” the DMK leader added.

Tamil Nadu Energy and Law Minister Nirmal Kumar launched a scathing attack on Udhayanidhi Stalin over his alleged remarks.

“A person who speaks about a woman in such a perverted manner has no qualification to remain in public life. Such a mindset is unacceptable. He is not even fit to sit in the Legislative Assembly,” the minister said.

He further said that remarks of this nature by the Leader of the Opposition could have a serious impact on society.

“When the Leader of the Opposition speaks in such an objectionable manner about women in public, it sends a wrong message to society. Whoever makes defamatory or obscene remarks against women, irrespective of who they are, will face strict legal action based on complaints received by the police,” he said.

The controversy erupted after Udhayanidhi, while addressing a gathering during the Cauvery protest, was interrupted by sections of the crowd chanting “Trisha, Trisha.” He allegedly responded, “Whether the water reaches anywhere else or not, it should reach there,” before clarifying that he was referring to Cauvery water.

Following the remarks, the women’s wing of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) lodged a complaint with the Thanjavur Police, alleging that the DMK leader had made a double-entendre remark targeting actor Trisha. (ANI)