Udhayanidhi Stalin campaigned for the second time in the Nochipalayam area of Dharapuram, seeking support for party candidate Suganya. 9File photo)
TIRUPPUR: Tiruppur district police on Sunday registered a case against Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin for allegedly involving a minor in an election campaign for the Dharapuram by-election.
Addressing the rally, the former deputy chief minister said that although the people had not given the DMK victory in the last election, the party had represented the Dharapuram constituency in the Legislative Assembly from 2021 to 2026.
Police said the act violated Election Commission guidelines that prohibit involving children in any election-related activity. Udhayanidhi allegedly made a minor boy get onto a campaign van and speak at the meeting. the boy made remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, saying, “Om Kali While speaking. Bhadra Kali…”. They also alleged that the child was made to speak in a manner insulting to the Chief Minister. The case was registered at Dharapuram police station and further investigation is underway. Dharapuram is a Scheduled Caste-reserved constituency in Tiruppur district, where Scheduled Castes constitute about a quarter of the population.
The incident took place during a campaign meeting near the Periyar statue in Dharapuram town on Saturday, according to police.