Chennai, Aug 4:
DMK organising secretary R.S. Bharathi on Tuesday sparked a fresh political debate by questioning, “Is Trisha the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister?” while defending Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin over the controversy surrounding his remarks at a Thanjavur protest.
Addressing reporters at Anna Arivalayam in Teynampet after Udhayanidhi’s detention, Bharathi downplayed the row, stating that the remarks about actor Trisha were taken out of context. He claimed that during the rally, someone in the crowd had raised a question about water supply, mentioning the actor, to which Udhayanidhi merely responded in a lighter vein.
“Someone in the crowd asked whether water was coming only to Trisha’s house. Udhayanidhi replied accordingly. What is wrong in that? Is she the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister?” Bharathi asked, arguing that the issue was being unnecessarily magnified.
Launching a sharp attack on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Bharathi accused the government of acting in an “authoritarian manner” by arresting the Opposition leader ahead of the Assembly session. “Arresting the Leader of the Opposition when the Assembly is about to convene is against democratic norms. This reflects the peak of authoritarianism,” he said.
He further alleged that the arrest was a political tactic to avoid answering questions in the Assembly. “The Chief Minister wants to play on an empty मैदान by arresting Opposition MLAs. This is an attempt to silence dissent,” he charged.
Bharathi also dismissed the legal action as unprecedented, noting that strong political speeches were common in earlier regimes. “Even during the tenures of MGR, Jayalalithaa and Edappadi Palaniswami, we have spoken strongly. No such cases or arrests were made for alleged defamatory speech,” he said.
Defending Udhayanidhi, he added that the arrest would only elevate his political stature. “Through this action, the Chief Minister himself has paved the way for Udhayanidhi Stalin to be called ‘Ilaya Kalaignar’,” he remarked.
The remarks come amid escalating tensions between the DMK and the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), with protests and counter-protests intensifying across the State over the controversy.