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2026-08-07 02:03 UTC → 2026-08-08 07:52 UTC ·
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On 3 August 2026 senior DMK leader Following Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested in Chennai after remarks made during a Cauvery‑water protest. He was released after eight hours Stalin’s arrest on station bail, but the detention sparked street protests by DMK cadres and accusations that the ruling Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) government was using legal action to divert attention from the state budget and water‑issue debates. The arrest, linked to alleged remarks targeting actress Trisha, intensified the personal and political rivalry between Stalin and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, whose entry into politics with TVK has broadened a feud that now spans the regional film industry. On 4 3 August 2026, protests continued, spread across Chennai and on other districts. On 5 August large‑scale August, road blockades erupted in Chennai neighbourhoods including Nilaankarai, Porur, Kolathur Kolathur, Ottiery and Ottiery. Police additional neighborhoods; police filed more than 1,000 cases against participants, among them including Mayor R. Priya and other senior DMK officials, Priya, and recorded injuries to seven officers. In the legislative assembly complex, assembly, AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami mistakenly tried to enter Stalin’s car, recalling echoing a similar past incident. Actor‑activist prior incident, while actor‑activist Sethan Akimsa publicly accused the state government of misusing police powers against political opponents, adding powers. By 7 August, demonstrations intensified, with DMK supporters in Thanjavur burning an effigy of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and clashing with rival groups, reinforcing the party’s claim that the arrests were politically motivated. The unrest coincided with the death of detainee Anwarthin in Madurai Central Prison, prompting calls for a new dimension higher‑level inquiry into prison medical care and adding further scrutiny to law‑enforcement practices in the escalating clash ahead of upcoming elections. state.