The detention of Tamil Nadu opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin over his alleged remarks on actor Trisha Krishnan is the latest in a string of controversies that have stalked his political career.
The DMK leader was held on Tuesday after Chief Minister Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) filed complaints with the police and the National Commission for Women (NCW) over his alleged remarks against Krishnan that drew flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, as well as the ruling party. Track LIVE updates here
While Stalin has denied any wrongdoing, this is not the first time his remarks have sparked a row.
Sanatana Dharma row
In 2023, Stalin sparked a political storm by stating that Sanatana Dharma promotes caste and gender discrimination. While speaking at a writers’ conference in Chennai, the DMK leader stated Sanatana Dharma was against social justice, while comparing the belief to diseases such as malaria and dengue.
His stance was reaffirmed during a speech in the Tamil Nadu assembly, where he said that the focus should be on fighting systemic social hierarchy rather than individual faiths.
Stalin’s remark led to a huge row, with the BJP and other Hindu groups accusing the DMK leader of inciting hate and a “cultural genocide of Hindus.”
The DMK leader clarified that his focus remains on dismantling an “oppressive ideological framework,” and did not call for attacks on Hindus.
Stalin’s remarks also invited a legal row, with the Supreme Court and Madras High Court slamming the DMK leader for hate speech.
Sanskrit language row
In November 2025, the former deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu sparked another row by referring to Sanskrit as a “dead language”. His remarks were made in criticism of the central government’s funding and promotion of Hindi and Sanskrit.
Citing funding disparity, the DMK leader claimed that a “dead language” like Sanskrit receives thousands of crores, while the development of the Tamil language continues to receive minimal backing. He added that ₹2,400 crore had been allocated for the promotion of Sanskrit between 2014-15 and 2024-25, compared to ₹150 crore for Tamil and other regional languages.
The BJP condemned the remarks, with senior leaders like Tamilisai Soundararajan and Gaurav Bhatia saying that no one has the right to call any language “dead.” The leaders added that the language remains alive through daily prayers and cultural rituals.
Dravidian ideology and Islam
In March 2026, the DMK leader stated that the principles of Dravidian ideology and Islam are fundamentally the same.
Addressing a DMK Minorities Welfare Rights Wing Iftar function ahead of the state assembly polls, the DMK leader said: “As long as brotherhood and unity exist, no matter how many attempts or conspiracies take place, no one will be able to break the relationship between the DMK and the Muslim community.”
He also took a dig at the BJP and stated that the DMK will continue to stand by the Muslim community “no matter how much the BJP tries to create trouble.”
His remarks over the years have drawn criticism from the BJP, which has accused him of minority appeasement.
