Revanth Reddy gave a heated speech lashing out at Allu Arjun and the film industry over the ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede row. Hours after his address, the actor calls the allegations against him as humiliating. Allu stated that a string of misinformation is circulating surrounding the stampede that led to a woman’s demise.
For those unaware, a fan succumbed to her death 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. Meanwhile, 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, culminating in a stampede.
The ‘Pushpa 2’ star states, “A lot of misinformation is going around. I am not trying to blame anyone, any department or political leader…It is humiliating and feels like character assassination. Please don’t judge me.” He added that he remains “apologetic for what happened.” The comment comes hours after Telangana CM Revanth Reddy slammed Allu Arjun. In his address, the CM accused Allu of dismissing warnings. He also claimed that the actor refused to leave the venue even after receiving the information about the woman’s death.
In his address, Allu Arjun states, “Permission was sought from the theatre management. The police cleared the way so I went in. I am a law-abiding citizen. I would have left if I were told that there is no permission.” He adds, “It was not a roadshow or procession. I just waved to people and went inside the theatre. No policeman approached me to leave. My own manager told me that there is an uncontrollable crowd and asked me to leave.” Moreover, talking about the 8-year-old child, Sri Tej, Allu said, “I have a child of the same age, wouldn’t I feel the pain. No one is to be blamed.”
He added that he learnt of the incident the next day. His team advised him against visiting the hospital. Subsequently, he received the informtion of a case filed against him. Moreover, he iterated, “It was not appropriate for me to meet the family under these circumstances.”
Meanwhile, 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 film, ‘Pushpa: The Rise.