Udhayanidhi’s arrest: Why TVK made the call | Powertrip #159

Welcome to this week’s Powertrip, a political newsletter curated exclusively for subscribers of The News Minute and Newslaundry. This week’s edition is by Dhanya Rajendran and Shabbir Ahmed.In this week’s edition, we asked TVK sources about the TN government’s risky decision to arrest Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin. If it was intended as a message, did it land as it was meant to?Powertrip is a newsletter that senior political reporters of TNM put together every week. For those who can’t access the full newsletter, get a subscription and read every Tuesday. .Udhayanidhi’s arrest: Why TVK made the callThe TVK government’s decision to arrest DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, just hours after he made a remark alluding to Vijay and Trisha, has everyone scrambling for hot takes. Was the arrest justified? Will it end up making Udhayanidhi a hero?Arresting the Leader of the Opposition is no ordinary decision. The TVK government would have known the political backlash it would invite, particularly with the Tamil Nadu Assembly session about to begin.So we asked TVK sources why the call was taken.Police sources said the instructions came from the very top, meaning the Chief Minister’s Office. A senior TVK leader told us the government wanted to draw a line. According to the leader, demeaning comments had become increasingly frequent, and the arrest was meant to send a message that such remarks would no longer be tolerated. Arresting Udhayanidhi, they argued, would also signal to the rest of the DMK that if even the Leader of the Opposition could face police action, no one else could expect immunity.The TVK also pointed to earlier cases. Thoothukudi MLA Anita Radhakrishnan was arrested, although the court refused to remand him. Vilathikulam MLA Markandeyan was also arrested for making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Vijay.According to TVK sources, this was not the first time Udhayanidhi had crossed the line. They cited an earlier remark in which he said the TVK government planned to shoot an “item song” inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The government believed repeated comments of this nature could not go unanswered.In fact, a police source said that given the DMK’s legal resources and strong legal team, the government was aware there was little scope for securing judicial custody for Udhayanidhi in this case. But they still decided that arrest itself was the message.Now whether that message has landed the way the TVK intended is another question.Two DMK leaders we spoke to offered contrasting viewpoints. One insisted Udhayanidhi’s remark was never intended to carry a sexual connotation, despite how it was portrayed in the media.Another admitted that there had been unease within sections of the party on Monday night. Some leaders worried the remark could damage the DMK, particularly among women voters. But the arrest changed the mood almost instantly. The party was invigorated and came together to oppose what it saw as political overreach. Leaders who had been on the back foot suddenly found an opportunity to go on the offensive against the Vijay government.This senior DMK leader even remarked that personal animosity between Vijay and Udhayanidhi may have played a role, adding that “Vijay has finally done Udhay a favour.”Sources said the DMK had expected complaints to be filed but did not anticipate the police arriving at Udhayanidhi’s residence early the next morning. Officers reached his house around 8 am and waited for nearly two hours while he told them he would freshen up before going with them.That delay turned out to be a blessing for the DMK. It gave the party enough time to mobilise its legal team and bring supporters onto the streets. Senior leaders, including Duraimurugan, KN Nehru, Sekar Babu, Ma Subramaniam and NR Elango, along with several advocates, reached Udhayanidhi’s residence before he was taken away.Zero HourA political story of public importanceModi government boasted about the NEET re-exam. But students say it was full of glitches .PowermovesTop 5 political storiesThe Raja Singh acquittal pattern: How hate speech cases keep collapsing in court In Kanyakumari, sea gets closer and villages vanish as residents fight mining expansionTVK govt revamps TN Fact Check Unit, appoints Vijay fan club founder Guru as chiefTelugu youth are more than movie fans: What the NEET protests revealedVande Mataram Bill explained: What changes, and can you be forced to sing it? Newsletter management: Vidya Sigamany