NEW DELHI: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday alleged that Telugu actor Allu Arjun attended the screening of his film Pushpa-2 on December 4 despite the police denying permission. Reddy claimed that even after a woman died in a stampede during the event, Allu Arjun did not leave the cinema hall until the police were forced to remove him.
Reddy’s remarks came after AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the issue in the Assembly. Referring to videos circulating on social media, Reddy criticised Allu Arjun for holding a roadshow and waving to the crowd despite the large gathering, which led to chaos.
Reddy stated that the management of the theatre had submitted a request to the police on December 2, seeking security for the visit of top actors and others on December 4. However, the police rejected the request due to concerns about managing the crowd.
Also read: Pushpa 2 star Allu Arjun calls stampede death ‘unfortunate’ after spending night in jail
Before entering the theatre and upon exiting, the actor was seen waving to the crowd from the sunroof of his car, prompting thousands of fans to gather and push to catch a glimpse of him, Reddy noted.
The CM also took aim at film personalities who, after Allu Arjun’s arrest, visited his residence but did not show the same empathy for the young boy who is currently receiving treatment in the hospital for injuries sustained in the incident.
“I appeal to the top film personalities that they should not be inhuman,” Reddy said.
He emphasized that there would be no special privileges for anyone involved in incidents like the stampede death, adding that the government would not spare those responsible for troubling the common people.
Also read- ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede: ‘Injured boy has severe brain damage, may take long time to recover’
The stampede occurred at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad when thousands of fans gathered for the premiere of Pushpa-2 to see Allu Arjun. A 35-year-old woman lost her life, and her eight-year-old son was hospitalized after being injured in the commotion.
Following the incident, the police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Chikkadpally police station, based on a complaint from the deceased woman’s family.
Allu Arjun was arrested on December 13 in connection with the woman’s death and was granted a four-week interim bail by the Telangana high court on the same day and was released from prison on December 14.