The December 4 ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede and Allu Arjun’s subsequent arrest have stirred a heated debate. Now, Telangana CM has slammed the actor. The criticism is for dismissing the warnings and attending the premiere which turned fatal for a fan. At the Legislative Assembly, Revanth Reddy called out Allu Arjun and the film industry in general.

For the unversed, a fan met her demise during the December 4 premiere of ‘Pushpa: The Rule’ in Hyderabad. A 35-year-old woman, Revathi, died in a stampede incident while her eight-year-old son required hospitalisation. The boy, Sri Tej is on ventilator support and is suffering from brain damage. The incident occurred as Allu Arjun attended the premiere with co-star Rashmika Mandanna and his wife, Allu Sneha Reddy. His attendance caused a ruckus among fans, creating a stampede.

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Subsequently, Hyderabad police arrested the actor and the lower court ordered a 14-day remand. However, the High Court granted him bail and the ‘Pushpa 2’ star was back home the next day. The developments in the case have been making headlines and have stirred debates.

Telangana: Hyderabad Police arrested actor Allu Arjun, in a case where a Lady died due to stampede in Sandhya Theatre.#Pushpa2 #AlluArjunArrest #sandhyatheatre #sandhyatheatrestampedecase #LatestNews pic.twitter.com/T56wnif3b3

— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) December 13, 2024

During his address, the CM delivered a heated speech. He accused the actor of disregarding police instructions and refraining from leaving the theatre even after learning about the woman’s death. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi asked Revanth Reddy if reports of Allu’s insensitive behaviour were true. To this, the CM replied, “Aisa bhi log hote hain.”

He added, “There is only one entry and exit. In spite of being informed not to go to the theatre, the hero went there. Not only did he go there, he came out from the sunroof of his vehicle and started waving to the thousands of fans who had gathered there. 50-60 bouncers of his private security team pushed the fans. In the melee, police found the lifeless bodies of the mother who had not let her son’s hand go even though she had passed away.”

Continuing, Revanth Reddy iterated the eight-year-old boy’s serious condition. “That family’s income is only Rs 30,000. But as their son is a great fan of Arjun, they coughed Rs 3,000 per ticket, paying Rs 12,000 in total (for the family of four) to fulfil the boy’s wish to see the movie. That mom is dead and the boy is in hospital. I ask, has the actor or any other actor of the film, any other cine star or director or producer bothered to visit the father or the son at the hospital? I don’t understand how inhumane people can be.”

Moreover, he talked about the outrage over Allu Arjun’s arrest in connection to the case. “The hero is accused number 11 in the case. Nine days after the incident, when police went to his house and took him to the police station, opposition leaders abused me. He spent a few hours in jail. The next day, everyone goes to his home to greet him as if he lost an arm, a leg, or an eye in an accident. All the big stars and cinema stalwarts visited him but none had the humanity to go visit the boy.”

Reddy further claimed that even after receiving information of the woman’s death, Allu Arjun refused to leave the venue. “First the theatre management did not allow the ACP and police team to go near Arjun, as per the City Police Commissioner. They stalled the police team for several minutes. With the hero still inside the theatre, there were thousands of fans still outside waiting to catch a glimpse of him. In spite of the DCP telling him to leave at around midnight, Arjun did not want to go. He said that he wants to see the entire movie. Under the circumstances, the DCP told him he would be taken to the police station if he did not comply.” He further lambasted Allu for greeting fans through his car’s sunroof, being indifferent to the catastrophe that occurred.

Also Read: ‘Pushpa 2’ sees massive sales jump after Allu Arjun’s arrest; is there a connection?

He stated, “If such inhuman people are taken to the police station because they are accused in the case, even those who have worked as ministers for 10 years are criticising the government. When those responsible for the death are called to the police station, these politicians used very vile language to blame the government.” Revanth Reddy further claimed, “Our government gave permission for special shows thinking that it wanted to promote the film industry. But this kind of behaviour cannot continue at the cost of human lives. I don’t know what the figures in the film industry want but we will not agree to play with lives.”

Allu Arjun starrer ‘Pushpa 2’ hit theatres on December 5. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil in key roles with Sukumar serving as the creator. Mythri Movie Makers backed the title. The film is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster, ‘Pushpa: The Rise.’