Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy today slammed the Tollywood film industry for failing to show compassion towards the dead woman and the child injured in the stampede during the benefit show of Pushpa 2 and instead, extending their support to Telugu actor Allu Arjun who was arrested by the police in connection with the case. He categorically stated that police had not only refused permission for the event but also narrated how the actor compounded the problem of crowd management by waving towards the people from the sunroof of his vehicle. He then refused to leave the theatres even after being repeatedly requested by the police even after he was informed about the stampede and casualties.

Speaking at the Legislative Assembly the CM said, “Did Allu Arjun lose his legs or his eyesight? What happened to warrant such attention?… The time has come for the industry to act with greater compassion and accountability. Public safety should be prioritized before profit or film stars.” The Telugu film industry rallied beside Allu Arjun after he was released from jail following bail.

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The matter was raised in the Assembly by AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi who did not name the actor. He alleged, “According to the information I received the hero went in to watch his film in the theatre, he was sitting there and the police came and told him there was a stampede, two children had fallen, a lady had died and then the actor turned and said ‘Then the film will be a hit.’… While returning, he again waved to the people. Is this true? There is a message going around that the government is being high-handed.”

Reddy said he did not want to comment earlier because it might have influenced the investigation. Narrating the sequence of events on the fateful night, he said Sandhya Theatres were denied permission for the event because several cinema halls and restaurants were in the vicinity and it was impossible to control the crowd. But on 4 December, the hero held an “impromptu roadshow,” waving at the crowd from the sunroof of his vehicle even though it was a “high-density traffic” stretch. His bouncers started shoving to make way for him inside the cinema hall and even after he sat down thousands of people went inside or waited outside to catch a glimpse. In the melee, Revathi and her son Sritej got separated from her husband and were crushed in the crowd. “When the police cleared the place and rescued them both were unconscious. The mother was holding on to her son in a vice-like grip and the police struggled to remove her hand because she had died by that time,” he said. Sritej has now been declared as brain-dead.

Reddy also said the police repeatedly tried to get the actor to leave the hall but first, the theatre management resisted and Allu Arjun insisted he would watch the entire film. The DCP threatened to arrest even the actor. He left, waving at fans once again. Announcing Rs 25 lakh as ex gratia he said benefit shows would not be allowed anymore.