Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and DMK Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin has issued legal notices to two national television news channels, accusing them of defamation over their coverage of his recent remarks and demanding a public apology, removal of the broadcasts and Rs 100 crore in damages.
The notices, dated August 6 and issued through a Chennai-based law firm, have been addressed to the two broadcasters, their parent companies and the journalists concerned.
According to the notices, the broadcasters misrepresented Udhayanidhi's speech delivered on August 3 and aired what were described as "offending videos", thereby damaging his reputation. The notices further claimed that the channels' interpretation of his remarks was subsequently amplified by other national and regional media outlets.
The notices call upon the media organisations to issue an unconditional public apology by prominently broadcasting it on their television channels and publishing it on their official and personal social media accounts. They also demand the immediate removal of the specified videos from YouTube and all other official and personal social media platforms.
In addition, the notices ask the journalists and media organisations to cease and desist from publishing or disseminating the allegations in any form in future.
The notices also seek damages of Rs 100 crore, stating that the amount, if recovered, would be donated to farmers affected by the Kuruvai crop failure during the current agricultural season.
The recipients have been given 48 hours to comply with the demands, failing which appropriate civil and criminal proceedings would be initiated, according to the notices.
The notices pertain to videos and programmes published on August 3 and August 4, with the specific YouTube links identified as the subject of the dispute.
As of Friday, there was no immediate public response from the broadcasters regarding the legal notices.
The controversy originated during a public demonstration organized by the DMK in Thanjavur focusing on agricultural distress and the ongoing Cauvery water-sharing dispute.
While Udhayanidhi was addressing the gathering, sections of the crowd began chanting. Amid the commotion, remarks made by the DMK leader became the center of a fierce political firestorm. Rival factions—most notably the women's wing of the ruling Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)—promptly filed formal police complaints, alleging that his comments contained inappropriate, double-meaning innuendos targeting a popular film actor and insulting women's modesty.
Acting on the complaints, the Thanjavur East Police registered an FIR against Udhayanidhi under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, and the Information Technology Act.
In a dramatic early-morning move, a police contingent arrived at his Chennai residence and took him into custody, transporting him by road to the Sengipatti Police Station near Thanjavur for interrogation. The sudden arrest triggered immediate protests from vociferous DMK cadres who gathered in large numbers outside the station.
Simultaneously, Udhayanidhi’s legal team rushed to the Madras High Court. Following an urgent afternoon hearing, Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan directed that the Leader of the Opposition be released on station bail once his questioning was completed. Udhayanidhi walked out of the station late Tuesday evening and flew back to Chennai, receiving a rousing welcome from supporters.
Upon his release, Udhayanidhi vehemently denied any intent to disparage women, maintaining that his remarks were strictly focused on government failures regarding agricultural irrigation. He dismissed the police action as a "diversionary tactic" engineered by the ruling administration to conceal governance lapses.
Crucially, the DMK leadership argued that selective, heavily edited clips of the speech were weaponized and amplified across national and regional news platforms. Claiming that these broadcasts manufactured a deliberate, false narrative to tarnish his public standing
