Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has refused to hold Telangana Police responsible for the action taken against actor Allu Arjun in the theatre stampede case. The incident occurred on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre during the screening of the film Pushpa 2, starring actor Allu Arjun.
Speaking in Mangalagiri, Kalyan emphasised that law enforcement must act in the public’s best interest and dismissed any notion of holding the police accountable.
“Everyone is subject to the law and I do not hold the police responsible for these kinds of situations since they operate in the public interest. Nevertheless, the theatre staff should have alerted Allu Arjun to any issues earlier. Once he was seated, they should have told him to leave if he needed to,” Kalyan remarked.
The stampede resulted in the death of Revathi, a 35-year-old woman and injuries to her son. The Hyderabad Police filed a case against Allu Arjun shortly after the incident. He was arrested and later released on bail.
Pawan Kalyan, who is also the leader of the Janasena Party and a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally, said the tragedy could have been better handled.
“It would have been better if someone had visited the victim’s family earlier on behalf of Allu Arjun. Revathi’s death in this incident has deeply shocked me. We should have conveyed earlier that we are all here to support the family. There should have been a sense of regret for the mistake, even if it happened without their direct involvement. The people’s anger stems from the absence of such a gesture,” he said, adding that Arjun also felt the pain of the tragedy.
Kalyan is related to Allu Arjun through his brother Chiranjeevi’s marriage. “It is not fair to make Allu Arjun solely responsible for the incident,” he said.
Referring to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Kalyan described him as a “great leader” who responded appropriately to the situation. “Telangana CM Revanth Reddy is a great leader who has risen from humble beginnings. He did not do like YSRCP, but instead focused on providing benefits in his state. Flexibility was granted for increasing ticket prices, which boosted movie collections. Films like Salaar and Pushpa 2 achieved massive box office success with his cooperation.”
The incident has sparked divided public opinion, with some questioning how Allu Arjun could be held accountable for the stampede, while others argue that the actor bears some responsibility as a public figure.
Amid this debate, a delegation from the Telugu film industry met with Chief Minister Reddy to discuss the matter. The Chief Minister reportedly assured the delegation of the state government’s support for the film industry but stressed that there would be no compromise on law and order.
“As the Chief Minister, it is my responsibility to enforce the law. I do not have any personal preferences,” sources quoted him as saying.
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