'Diversionary tactic': Udhayanidhi questions arrest, says maiden TVK budget lacks vision

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition and DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of using his arrest as a "diversionary tactic" to stop him from raising the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues.

Speaking to reporters, Udhayanidhi claimed the TVK government was trying to shift public attention away from key issues facing the state.

"The day before yesterday, I protested against this government's failure on these issues, and I was arrested. These are merely diversionary tactics to prevent me from raising the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues. They have also poached AIADMK MLAs. DMK's Gen Z cadres are being targeted and arrested. There are numerous issues and problems under this TVK government, and they are resorting to diversionary tactics to shift public attention away from them," Udhayanidhi said.

Udhayanidhi attacks TVK government over arrest

His remarks came a day after police arrested him following a complaint filed by a ruling TVK functionary, who accused him of making misogynist remarks during a public meeting in Thanjavur.

Police took Udhayanidhi to Thanjavur by road and questioned him for nearly 90 minutes at the Sengipatti police station. He was later released on station bail in line with a Madras High Court direction.

After his release, Udhayanidhi rejected the allegations and said he had never intended to insult women.

"I did not speak with any wrong intentions. I had no intention of speaking about women in a derogatory manner. I did not mean to demean women. I don't have that intention in my mind," he said.

When asked about Chief Minister Vijay's silence over the arrest, Udhayanidhi replied, "You should ask him. He is the silent one."

Questions budget, Mekedatu stand

Udhayanidhi also criticised the maiden budget presented by the TVK government, saying it failed to deliver on the promises made during the election campaign.

"There is no scheme in this budget to fulfil the promises made during the election campaign. We should thank the Finance Minister for acknowledging that Tamil Nadu ranks number one in many sectors. However, this government has merely pasted the name 'Vetri ', which is also the name of their party onto existing schemes. We had announced a scheme to distribute 20 lakh laptops, of which 10 lakh had already been distributed," he said.

He alleged that the government had only renamed existing welfare programmes instead of introducing new initiatives.

"They have simply renamed it the Vetri Laptop Scheme. Tamil Nadu has long been a leader in social justice, education, healthcare, and industrial development, but that vision is missing under this government...This TVK government has not had the courage to stop the construction of the Mekedatu Dam, nor has it taken any concrete steps to address the issue," he added.

Udhayanidhi further said the budget lacked a clear roadmap for implementing its announcements and asserted that the DMK would continue to question the Vijay government throughout the Assembly session.