Thursday, 19 December 2024
Thursday, 19 December 2024
The arrest of Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun on Friday following a tragic incident at the premiere of his latest blockbuster, Pushpa 2: The Rule, has set off a political and public outcry in Telangana.
Hyderabad police detained the national award-winning actor after a stampede at Sandhya Theatre claimed the life of a woman and her nine-year-old son and left several others injured on December 4.
The Telangana high court granted a four-week interim bail to the actor, who was arrested earlier in the day by the city police in connection with the death of a woman. The HC order came shortly after the actor was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court. He was sent to the jail at Chanchalguda following the remand, amid tight security arrangements.
While the arrest has stirred a heated debate, the political reactions have been swift and divisive, with Opposition parties and celebrities questioning the government’s handling of the situation.
BJP leader and Union minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar lambasted the Telangana Congress government for the manner in which Allu Arjun was apprehended.
“A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment,” Kumar stated in a post on X. He alleged that the actor was “lifted straight from his bedroom” without being given time to change. “This negligence and mishandling are unacceptable. Icon Star and his fans deserve dignity, not chaos,” he added.
BRS working President K.T. Rama Rao also came to Arjun’s defence, criticising the arrest as the “pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers.”
“I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede, but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu as a common criminal is uncalled for, especially for something he isn’t directly responsible,” Rao said on X. He emphasised the need for “respect” and “dignified conduct” while condemning what he termed the government’s high-handedness.
Despite the criticism, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy appeared unprepared to comment on the matter. “Let me find out, then I will tell you,” he said, in response to queries about Arjun’s arrest.
BJP leader T. Raja Singh questioned the Telangana police’s narrative, claiming that the theater management had informed the police about Arjun’s presence.
“Telangana Police say that Allu Arjun did not intimate them of his arrival at Sandhya Theatre. If the police force did not come for security arrangements, whose fault is it?” he asked, condemning the Congress government’s law and order situation.
YSRCP leader Lakshmi Parvathi alleged a political conspiracy, dragging Andhra Pradesh’s former CM Chandrababu Naidu into the controversy.
“Allu Arjun did not do anything wrong. However, it is the government’s fault that it did not make arrangements when Allu Arjun went there,” she said. “How many times should Chandrababu be arrested for the incidents in Rajahmundry Pushkaram and Kandukur?”
Prominent film personalities also weighed in. Allu Arjun's "Pushpa 2: The Rule" co-star Rashmika Mandanna defended the Telugu superstar, saying an individual should not be singled out for the unfortunate incident. "I can’t believe what I am seeing right now.. The incident that happened was an unfortunate and deeply saddening incident," Mandanna, who plays the role Srivalli in "Pushpa 2", said in a post on X.
Senior actor N. Balakrishna termed the arrest “unjust” and promised to stand by Allu Arjun. Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan shared his perspective, pointing out that safety protocols are not the responsibility of an actor.
“Safety protocols are not something that an actor can take on himself. We can tell people around us, but you can't blame one person for this,” Dhawan said, while offering condolences for the tragic incident.
Veteran actor Raza Murad echoed Dhawan’s sentiments. “A stampede occurred, a person died, and people were injured. What was the fault of the actor? Crowd control is not an actor’s job. If he has been arrested, that should be investigated—why was he arrested, what was the reason?”
The husband of the woman who died in the stampede expressed his willingness to drop the case against the actor. “I didn’t know Allu Arjun was arrested,” he said. “I am ready to drop the case.”
Telugu actor Nani came out in support of his contemporary Allu Arjun. In a post on social media platform X, Nani said, "I wish the kind of enthusiasm government authorities and media show in anything related to people from cinema was also there for the regular citizens. We would have lived in a better society." Referring to the December 4 incident, the actor said it was "unfortunate" and "heart breaking".
