Vijay Warns Udhayanidhi Stalin Over Trisha Row, Says Women’s Insult Won’t Be Tolerated

Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay on Monday targeted Udhayanidhi Stalin in the Assembly without mentioning the controversy surrounding actress Trisha. Vijay said that derogatory or defamatory language against women will not be accepted under any circumstances. He also said that there can be opposition and sharp criticism in politics, but it is not right to target women under the guise of that. This statement of Vijay has come at a time when political conflict is going on between the two camps over Udhayanidhi's alleged double meaning comment made in August regarding Trisha.

What message did Vijay give to Udhayanidhi without taking his name?

During the discussion on the demands for grants of the police department in the Assembly, Vijay raised the issue of respect for women. He did not take anyone's name, but his statement is being directly linked to Udhayanidhi Stalin. Vijay said that any person should think about the women in his family before making such comments. He also said that women have played an important role in his political victory and he will not tolerate derogatory language against women.

What happened in August regarding Trisha?

This whole controversy started on August 3 during a protest organised on the Cauvery river issue in Thanjavur. Udhayanidhi Stalin was giving a speech in the program. Meanwhile, some people in the crowd raised slogans in the name of actress Trisha. After this, such a comment was made by Udhayanidhi, which was linked to Trisha and Vijay and objection was raised. After the matter escalated, Udhayanidhi had denied the allegations and said that his speech was on the issue of Cauvery.

Why did the police arrest Udhayanidhi when the controversy escalated?

Tamil Nadu Police had taken action against Udhayanidhi after the matter escalated over the remarks. On August 4, he was detained from his Chennai residence and taken to Thanjavur for questioning. He was released after a few hours. After this action, the rhetoric in Tamil Nadu politics became more intense. A demand for action regarding the matter was also raised by Vijay's party.

Why did Vijay remember Jayalalitha in the assembly?

In his speech, Vijay also mentioned former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha. He said that Jayalalitha had to face many kinds of insults in this very assembly. Vijay said that making political comments and hurting someone's personal dignity are two different things. According to him, the limit should not be crossed in the name of freedom of expression. This part was also related to his statement in which he objected to personal and derogatory comments against women.

Did Vijay corner DMK only on the issue of Trisha?

No. In the assembly, Vijay also attacked DMK on corruption. Citing the allegations related to the Enforcement Directorate, he said that questions have been raised against DMK leaders for raising money in the name of party fund. He made this claim taking the names of MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin and Senthil Balaji. These are Vijay's political allegations, which he raised in the Assembly.

Why did the issue of Sarkaria Commission report arise?

Referring to old corruption cases, Vijay also raised the issue of Sarkaria Commission report. He said that DMK has challenged to open files related to corruption during the previous government, but before that one should look at the Sarkaria Commission report against the DMK government in 1988. Vijay claimed that the report had accused the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of abuse of office.

At what point is the political fight between Vijay and Udhayanidhi now?

The Trisha controversy has further exposed the ongoing tussle between Vijay and Udhayanidhi in Tamil Nadu politics. On one hand, Udhayanidhi is cornering the government as the leader of the opposition in the Assembly, while on the other hand, Chief Minister Vijay is responding to DMK's old cases and current allegations in the House. Vijay's latest statement on Trisha controversy shows that this issue is not over yet.