Hyderabad, Dec 13 (IANS) BJP OBC Morcha president and MP K. Laxman has condemned the arrest of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun in the case relating to the death of a woman in a recent stampede at a theatre during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’.
“I strongly condemn the arrest of nationally renowned Telugu actor Mr. Allu Arjun. I am expressing deep sorrow and grief for the woman who died in the gathering held on the occasion of the release of the movie,” said Laxman in a statement.
“It is inhumane to arrest Allu Arjun who is not directly involved in false cases. To cover up the failures of the police and the government, the government has written a movie script to divert people’s attention. People are angry with the government’s ill-conceived actions,” said Laxman, who is a member of Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has termed All Arjun’s arrest as ‘unjust’. He expressed profound sorrow over the tragic loss of a woman’s life in the stampede at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, acknowledging the irreplaceable nature of their loss.
Taking to X, he tweeted that actor Allu Arjun has shown a responsible approach in expressing grief over the tragedy and offering support to the affected family during this difficult time.
However, he strongly condemned the move to hold Allu Arjun accountable for the incident. “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.
Jagan Mohan Reddy urged authorities to act judiciously and focus on ensuring justice for the victim’s family without unfairly targeting individuals.
A woman died and her son was critically injured during the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the premier show attended by Allu Arjun on December 4.
Police had registered a case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS against Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of the theatre.
Police arrested the actor on Friday and produced him in a city court, which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. However, hours later Telangana High Court granted him interim bail.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State Railway & Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu said that Allu Arjun’s arrest exposes the Congress government’s apathy toward the creative industry.
“The chaos at Sandhya Theatre was a direct result of administrative failure, but instead of addressing their incompetence, the Telangana Government is deflecting blame with headline-grabbing stunts,” the minister said.
He added that rather than targeting artists, they should focus on compensating the victims and holding those responsible for the mismanagement accountable.
“Unfortunately, in just a year under Congress rule, scapegoating prominent figures has become their preferred way to dodge responsibility,” the minister said.
