Stalin condemns Udhayanidhi's arrest, accuses govt of diverting Cauvery issue

CHENNAI: DMK president M K Stalin on Tuesday accused the TVK-led government of diverting public attention from the Cauvery river water issue by arresting Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Udhayanidhi Stalin. He alleged that the government had invoked non-bailable sections to intimidate the Opposition leader.

In a statement, Stalin said the government had failed to safeguard Tamil Nadu's interests in the Cauvery dispute and had resorted to the arrest of Udhayanidhi to shift the focus from the issue.

"The TVK-led government believes that the Leader of the Opposition, who enjoys Cabinet rank, should not be present in the Assembly during the presentation of the Budget on Wednesday," Stalin alleged.

Questioning the manner of the arrest, Stalin asked why the police had travelled to Thanjavur to arrest Udhayanidhi when they could have questioned him in Chennai.

"If the police wanted to investigate him, they could have done so in Chennai. Why did they have to go to Thanjavur? Why were non-bailable sections invoked against him?" Stalin asked.

Referring to the court proceedings, Stalin said the Madras High Court had directed that Udhayanidhi be released on the same day. "The order is a severe setback to the fascist TVK-led government," he said.

Recalling the earlier arrests of DMK MLAs Anitha R Radhakrishnan and G V Markandeyan, Stalin said Udhayanidhi's arrest was a continuation of the government's attempts to target Opposition leaders.

Defending Udhayanidhi, Stalin said the LoP had never used vulgar language in public life. "That is not his character. If he had inadvertently made any objectionable remark, he is someone who would immediately express regret," he said.

Stalin also criticised those condemning Udhayanidhi's speech, calling it an attempt to divert attention from the real issues. He urged the Chief Minister to act responsibly and demanded the immediate release of all DMK cadres arrested during the protests.

"Arrogance paves the way for disaster, and sustained arrogance will only lead to greater disaster," Stalin said.