Udhayanidhi Stalin booked for allegedly involving minor in Dharapuram poll campaign

Tiruppur police have registered a case against DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin for allegedly involving a minor in an election campaign in Dharapuram, officials said on Sunday, days ahead of the October 6 Assembly by-election.

The case relates to an incident during a campaign rally near the Periyar statue in Dharapuram town on Saturday. Police alleged that Udhayanidhi brought a minor boy onto a campaign vehicle and handed him a microphone, following which the child reportedly made disparaging remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

FIR under two laws

The Dharapuram Town Police registered an FIR against the DMK leader under Section 123(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Section 83 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Officials said the circumstances surrounding the child’s participation in the campaign were being examined as part of the investigation. The allegations in the FIR have not yet been established in court.

Authorities also said the use of children in election campaigning was prohibited under Election Commission guidelines. The restrictions are intended to prevent political parties and candidates from involving children in rallies, slogan-shouting, distribution of campaign material and other election-related activities.

Minor handed microphone

According to police, the incident took place while Udhayanidhi was campaigning from a vehicle in Dharapuram. The minor was allegedly brought onto the vehicle and given a microphone in the presence of those attending the rally.

The boy then reportedly made remarks targeting Chief Minister Vijay. Police have not disclosed further details about the child, and his identity has been withheld because he is a minor.

Investigators are examining the sequence of events and the circumstances in which the boy came to participate in the campaign.

Campaign for Suganya

Udhayanidhi was in Dharapuram to seek votes for DMK candidate S Suganya, who is contesting the October 6 by-election.

The campaign for the constituency concluded on Sunday, beginning the mandatory silence period before polling. Political parties and candidates had intensified their outreach in the final days of campaigning.

The alleged involvement of the minor has now added a legal issue to the closing stages of the campaign, with police continuing their investigation into the incident.

Children in campaigns

Election authorities have repeatedly directed political parties and candidates not to involve children in election-related activities. The prohibition covers their participation in rallies, processions, meetings and other forms of political campaigning.

The Juvenile Justice Act also contains provisions concerning the use of children for illegal activities. Police have invoked provisions of both the election and juvenile justice laws while registering the present case.

Whether the circumstances of the Dharapuram incident satisfy the legal requirements of the provisions invoked will be determined through the investigation and subsequent judicial process.

DMK yet to respond

The DMK had not issued an official statement on the FIR at the time of reporting. Udhayanidhi had also not publicly responded to the specific allegations made by police.

Further investigation is underway, with authorities expected to examine available video footage and other material relating to the campaign event before deciding on subsequent action in the case.