DMK cadre and senior party functionaries, including former Textiles and Handlooms Minister R. Gandhi, former MLAs for Anaicut, Vellore, and Tirupattur Assembly constituencies A.P. Nandakumar, P. Karthikeyan, and A. Nallathambi staged protests at several locations in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, and Tiruvannamalai districts on Tuesday to condemn the arrest of the Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin.Tension prevailed near the Office of the Collector on Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) in Vellore after a large number of party workers led by Mr. Nandakumar gathered and staged a road blockade. They raised slogans against the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government. The police detained and removed them as the protest brought traffic to a standstill.In Ranipet, former Minister and DMK district secretary Mr. Gandhi led the protest against the arrest of Mr. Udhayanidhi near Muthukadai junction in Ranipet town. They were detained and kept at a marriage hall in town. “The arrest of our leader [Udhayanidhi Stalin] is unjust and against democratic principles. It is condemnable,” Mr. Gandhi said.In Tiruvannamalai and Tirupattur districts, key towns like Arani, Cheyyar, Vandavasi, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Jolarpet, Ambur, and Vaniyambadi came to a standstill due to protests by a large number of DMK supporters. They were detained in marriage halls and auditoriums.These districts also witnessed a large-scale peaceful protest by TVK cadres and functionaries against Mr. Udhayanidhi’s remarks during his speech in Thanjavur. Published - August 04, 2026 11:42 pm IST