Police Book Udhayanidhi Stalin Over Alleged Violation of Child Campaign Rules

Tiruppur police have registered a case against DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin for allegedly involving a minor in an election campaign, officials said on Sunday. The case was registered under provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, they said.

According to police, the incident took place on Saturday during an election campaign near the Periyar statue in Dharapuram town. Udhayanidhi allegedly brought a minor boy onto a campaign vehicle and handed him a microphone.

The boy reportedly made disparaging remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay while addressing the gathering, police officials said. The Dharapuram Town Police have registered an FIR against Udhayanidhi under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act and Section 83 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

Officials said the alleged involvement of a child in election-related campaigning is also contrary to Election Commission guidelines, which prohibit children from participating in electioneering activities.

Udhayanidhi, who is a senior DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister, was in Dharapuram seeking votes for DMK candidate S Suganya ahead of the October 6 by-election.

The campaigning for the bypoll ended on Sunday. The case comes amid an increasingly sharp political contest in Dharapuram, where parties and candidates have stepped up campaigning ahead of polling.

Police said they have begun further investigation into the incident and will examine the circumstances under which the minor was allegedly brought into the campaign.

The DMK has not issued an official statement on the case or the allegations against Udhayanidhi so far. The police action follows the circulation of the alleged campaign incident, prompting authorities to examine whether election-related rules governing the participation of children were violated.

Officials said further details would emerge as the investigation progresses.