Chennai, Aug 4 (IANS) MDMK general secretary Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam and BJP state vice-president Khushbu on Tuesday condemned Leader of Opposition and DMK Youth Wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin over his purportedly derogatory remarks against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and actor Trisha, saying political leaders must maintain decorum and dignity in public life.
The criticism followed the circulation of videos from Udhayanidhi’s speech at the DMK’s Cauvery protest in Thanjavur. The remarks triggered a political backlash, with the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) women’s wing lodging complaints with the Thanjavur East Police and the National Commission for Women.
Police subsequently registered a criminal case against the DMK leader.
In a post on X, Vaiko said the remarks attributed to the Leader of Opposition deserved strong condemnation. He said Udhayanidhi, who occupies the constitutional position of Leader of Opposition, should remember the Thirukkural’s emphasis on restraint in speech rather than resorting to language that lowers the standards of political discourse.
Vaiko said the controversial remarks were made during a protest organised over the Cauvery water issue and maintained that such language weakened the quality of public debate.
He also cautioned against using the Cauvery dispute for political posturing, arguing that Tamil Nadu’s interests could be protected only when political parties set aside their differences and spoke with one voice.
CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam also criticised Udhayanidhi, describing the language allegedly used at the public meeting as obscene and unacceptable.
In a social media post, Shanmugam said the manner in which the LoP spoke warranted condemnation and stressed that politics should not deteriorate into personal attacks or offensive rhetoric.
Actor and BJP state vice-president Khushbu accused Udhayanidhi of insulting Trisha from a public platform. She questioned whether he would acknowledge his mistake and apologise to the actor.
Khushbu said speeches that demean women must come to an end and stressed that elected representatives and political leaders have a responsibility to uphold civilised standards of public discourse.
Udhayanidhi addressed the DMK’s Cauvery protest in Thanjavur, where he purportedly made remarks containing double entendres directed at Vijay and Trisha. Videos of the speech subsequently spread across social media, drawing criticism from political parties and prompting complaints against him.
–IANS
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