News Tamil Nadu

Why Is #பால்ட்டாயில்_பாபு (Paaldayil Babu) Trending?

February 21, 2025
The Commune

The nickname #பால்டாயில்_பாபு (Paaldayil Babu), coined by Tamil Nadu BJP chief K. Annamalai for DMK scion and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, has taken social media by storm.

The nickname gained significant traction after Annamalai launched a scathing attack on Udhayanidhi Stalin. He warned that if the DMK leader continued to insult Prime Minister Modi, he would personally put up “Paaldayil Babu” posters outside Udhayanidhi’s residence. Annamalai didn’t mince words, challenging Udhayanidhi directly: “If you have the guts, say ‘Get Out Modi.’ Just because your father is the Chief Minister and your grandfather was a five-time CM doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want. Try saying it, da!” He escalated the situation further, threatening, “If you utter those words, I’ll come to your house and plaster ‘Paaldayil Babu’ posters right outside. I’ll speak to you in the language you understand!”

Annamalai’s fiery challenge ignited an intense social media battle between the BJP and the DMK. In response to Annamalai’s attack, the DMK IT wing shared a video on February 20 showcasing the sloganeering of “Get Out Modi” during a DMK meeting. This led to a fierce backlash from netizens, with the hashtag #பால்டாயில்_பாபு (Paaldayil Babu) trending across social media.

Why Udhayanidhi Stalin Is Called “Paaldayil Babu”?

Udhayanidhi Stalin’s nickname “Paaldayil Babu,” set by Tamil Nadu BJP chief Annamalai stems from two different stories. One theory behind the name involves the term “Paaldayil,” which is an insecticide, allegedly linked to rumors surrounding Udhayanidhi’s personal life. These rumors reportedly began when he was involved with actress whose name rings with a numner. It is said that during the shooting of the film Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal in 2014, Udhayanidhi and the female actor became romantically involved. The pair reportedly visited the Palani temple together, fueling speculation about their relationship.

Despite Udhayanidhi being married at the time, rumors of his affair with the lady film star spread. His grandfather, former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi, is said to have warned him, but the relationship reportedly continued. In the film Nannbenda, Udhayanidhi cast one specific heroine as the female lead, further intensifying the rumors.

However, when she allegedly rejected his feelings, Udhayanidhi was reported to have attempted suicide, an incident that was widely gossiped back then. His supporters blamed the heroine, leading to a significant backlash against the actress. That is why the “Paaldayil” part came to the fore.

In 2021, actor-politician Radha Ravi reignited the controversy ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by questioning Udhayanidhi Stalin’s relationship with the heroine. He made a derogatory remark about her, which led to Udhayanidhi’s political party temporarily distancing itself from Radha Ravi. Despite the controversy, Radha Ravi stated that he did not care about Udhayanidhi and the heroine’s relationship.

The second part of the nickname, “Babu,” is allegedly a reference to a long-standing rumor involving Udhayanidhi Stalin’s father, DMK leader M.K. Stalin. The rumor centers around a supposed relationship between M.K. Stalin and a former newsreader. According to the widely circulated gossip in Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin allegedly abducted Fathima Babu during the late 1980s when his father, M. Karunanidhi, was the Chief Minister. This story had been circulating for over three decades, but it gained more attention in 2019.

To put an end to the rumors, the newsreader clarified that she was not abducted in the 1980s. She explained that her absence during that period was due to her involvement in a television serial.

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