Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi have made serious allegations against Allu Arjun in the Telangana assembly. The actor, facing legal charges in a case involving the death of a woman and the hospitalisation of a young boy during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule, addressed these claims.
Allu Arjun’s Response to the Allegations
At his residence in Jubilee Hills on Saturday evening, Arjun held a press conference with his legal counsel by his side. Emotionally addressing the accusations, he denied the new charges raised in the assembly.
Calling the incident an “unfortunate accident” and expressing his condolences to the family, Arjun emphasised that it was “nobody’s fault, including the police.”
He stated, “Theatres are my temple, and it hurts me that something like this happened.” Responding to the allegations, he said, “There is a lot of misinformation, false allegations, and miscommunication about things I’ve allegedly said. I feel humiliated, and this is character assassination. People have known me for 20 years now; would I speak like this? I am unable to even go to work.”
He shared that despite wanting to, he has not watched his own film in theatres yet, a project representing three years of his hard work. “I am sorry something this unfortunate happened in my presence. When people claim I said it’s okay someone died or is hospitalised, that’s character assassination. It hurts me to see false allegations levelled against me,” he said. Arjun further added, “I was not being irresponsible when I went to the theatre; nothing of this sort has happened in 20 years.”
VIDEO | ‘Pushpa-2’ stampede: Here’s what actor Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) said at a press conference in Hyderabad.
“It is an unfortunate incident and genuinely speaking nobody is at fault… I genuinely think that nobody should be blamed, and I am not here to blame anybody or to… pic.twitter.com/E4Ag14TJDl
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 21, 2024
He firmly denied claims that he went to the theatre without police permission. “The theatre management had already sorted it out with the police. There was no road show or procession. I only came out of my car to wave at fans in the hope they would let my car pass. Any celebrity or politician does that out of respect for the people there. I am not as arrogant to not do that,” he explained.
Arjun clarified that no police officer approached him in the theatre or asked him to leave. “I only left because my management warned me about overcrowding. I only found out what happened the next day,” he said. He also pointed out that his wife and children were with him during the visit. “If I knew what happened, wouldn’t I take my children with me when I left? I left only with my wife. I love my kids; I would never do that to another child,” he stated.
The actor mentioned staying in constant contact with the victim’s family for updates on the young boy’s condition. “I cannot go because I am legally tied. This is a low point in my life. I have a kid of the same age (as the victim in a coma). Am I not a father? Don’t I understand how the father feels?” he questioned.
Arjun refused to answer further questions about the incident. His father, Allu Aravind, reiterated his statements. The actor made it clear he does not “blame anyone,” including the government or the police. He also mentioned that the film’s team plans to open a fixed deposit account for the boy.
Allegations by Revanth and Akbaruddin
In the Telangana assembly, Revanth and Akbaruddin accused Arjun of continuing to watch the movie despite being informed about the death of a fan and the hospitalisation of a young boy. Akbaruddin alleged, “According to the information I have received, the star who went to the theatre to watch the film was informed about the issue when it happened. Even the police told him that there was a stampede and two children have fallen, one woman is dead. The film star turned to them, smiled, and said, now the film will be a hit.”
Revanth criticised the actor for holding a “road show” and visiting the theatre without police permission. He also criticised the film industry for its perceived lack of humanity, stating that prominent figures supported Arjun despite his brief time in jail. The CM announced that no permissions for benefit shows or ticket hikes would be granted while he remains in power.
Background of the Incident
On December 4, Arjun visited Sandhya Theatre with his wife, Allu Sneha Reddy, and co-star Rashmika Mandanna for the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule. The visit led to a stampede-like situation as fans rushed to catch a glimpse of him, resulting in one woman’s death and her young son’s critical hospitalisation. Arjun was arrested on December 13 and granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court on December 14.
