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Allu Arjun: Oppn hits out at govt, actors express shock
“A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment,” Sanjay said.
The arrest of national award-winning Tollywood hero Allu Arjun by the Hyderabad police evoked sharp reactions from various sections of people, including opposition parties and film personalities.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy, however, said neither he nor his government had any role to play in the arrest of Allu Arjun. “Nobody will interfere in the issue. All are equal before the law and it will take its own course,” Reddy said in an interaction with reports in New Delhi.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao came down heavily on the Congress government in Telangana for arresting Allu Arjun. “Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating @alluarjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for especially for something he isn’t directly responsible,” KTR said in a post on X.
He further said: “There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of Govt. Going by the same perverse logic, Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the death of two innocent people who died in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by Hydraa (sic).”
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister of state for home Bandi Sanjay said the actor deserved a better treatment. In a post on X, Sanjay said the national award-winning actor was “lifted straight from his bedroom” without even being given time to change, which according to him is a “disgraceful act of mismanagement and disrespect”.
“A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment,” Sanjay said.
YSR Congress party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also strongly condemned the arrest of Allu Arjun. While describing the death of the woman in the stampede-like situation at Sandhya Theatre during the screening of Pushpa-2: The Rule, he recalled that actor Allu Arjun hd shown a responsible approach in expressing grief over the tragedy and for offering support to the affected family during this difficult time.
“But, blaming him for the stampede, filing criminal charges, or arresting him is neither fair nor acceptable, as he was not involved in the tragic event,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Bhaskar, husband of the stampede victim Revathi, told reporters at his residence that Allu Arjun was not directly responsible for the death of his wife and injuries to his son.
Bhaskar, on whose complaint the Chikkadpally police registered a case against Allu Arjun and others, said he had taken his family to the premiere show of Pushpa-2 to fulfil the desire of his son Sreetej. “There was a heavy rush at the theatre and a large number of fans came there to see Allu Arjun. In the melee, my wife and son got asphyxiated. Allu Arjun had not done any mistake,” he said.
He said the police had not informed him about the arrest of Allu Arjun on Friday. “I came to know only by watching the news on my mobile phone. If necessary, I am ready to withdraw the complaint against the actor,” he said.
Allu Arjun’s uncle and megastar Chiranjeevi, along with his wife Vasundhara went to the former’s residence and called on his wife Sneha Reddy and brother-in-law Allu Aravind. Chiranjeevi’s younger brother and Jana Sena Party leader Nagababu also visited Arjun’s residence.
Several film personalities including Allu Arjun’s co-star in Pushpa series -- Rashmika Mandanna and actor Nani also expressed shock over the arrest of Allu Arjun.
