Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy Resources and Law R. Nirmalkumar. File
| Photo Credit: J. Johan Sathyadas
TVK senior leader and Tamil Nadu Minister for Energy and Law R. Nirmalkumar, on Tuesday (August 4, 2026), said DMK youth wing secretary and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin is “unfit to enter the Assembly and be in public life.”
The Minister was responding to a question on the arrest of Mr. Udhayanidhi on allegations of making misogynistic remarks during a demonstration in Thanjavur on August 3. “As Mr. Udhayanidhi has no understanding of the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues, he made unnecessary remarks in Thanjavur. Will the family members of the DMK accept his remarks?” Mr. Nirmalkumar asked while speaking to reporters in Chennai.
“He is unfit to remain Leader of the Opposition. A person who carries such an attitude towards women has no qualification to enter the Legislative Assembly. He is unfit to be in public life. Had Puratchi Thalaivar M.G.R. [M.G. Ramachandran] and Amma [J. Jayalalithaa] been alive, they would have taken the same action that the Chief Minister [C. Joseph Vijay] has taken today,” he contended.
To a question on AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s objection to Mr. Udhayanidhi’s arrest, Mr. Nirmalkumar said, “Mr. Palaniswami is hiding behind the DMK. There was a time when Mr. Udhayanidhi made defamatory remarks against Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (Jayalalithaa). At that time, the government led by Mr. Palaniswami was in office. Even then, no action was taken against him.”
Udhayanidhi spoke like fourth-rate platform speaker: Vaiko
MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday condemned Mr. Udhayanidhi alleging he had made remarks that reduced him to the level of “a fourth-rate platform speaker.”
In a statement, Mr. Vaiko said Mr. Udhayanidhi ought to have exercised restraint while addressing a protest meeting in Thanjavur on Monday . “His remarks are unbecoming of the Leader of the Opposition,” he said.
Alleging that the protest had been organised by the DMK solely to create trouble for the government and politicise the Cauvery water dispute, Mr. Vaiko said all political parties should rise above narrow political considerations. “We must come together, setting aside partisan interests. Only then can we safeguard the rights of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Published – August 04, 2026 04:06 pm IST
