Refusing to blame Telangana Police for the action against actor Allu Arjun in the theatre stampede case, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan said the law is equal for all and police must act with public safety in mind. Mr Kalyan, leader of NDA ally Janasena Party, praised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy as a “great leader” and suggested that Allu Arjun should have visited the family of the woman killed in the stampede earlier.
Speaking to reporters in an informal interaction at Mangalagiri, Mr Kalyan shared his perspective on the stampede incident at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on December 4.
Allu Arjun visited the theatre where his movie Pushpa 2 was being screened. The film star’s visit led to chaos. A 35-year-old woman, Revathi, died in the incident and her son was injured. Soon after, Hyderabad police registered a case against Allu Arjun. He was arrested and granted bail shortly after.
Mr Kalyan today said it was important for law enforcement authorities to prioritise public safety. “The law is equal for all. In such incidents, the police act keeping security in mind. However, the theatre staff should have informed Allu Arjun in advance about the situation. Once he sat in his seat, it became harder to manage the chaos,” he said.
Mr Kalyan is related to Allu Arjun. Allu Arjun’s aunt Surekha is married to renowned actor Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan’s elder brother.
On what the actor could have done to prevent the way things played out, Pawan Kalyan said, “It would have been better if Allu Arjun had reached out to the victim’s family earlier. This could have eased tensions.”
Mr Kalyan, also a renowned actor, said his elder brother Chiranjeevi would also attend screenings of his movies. “But he often wore a mask to avoid creating a stir.”
The Andhra Deputy Chief Minister described Telangana Chief Minister Reddy as a leader who has risen from humble beginnings. “Revanth Reddy is a great leader. He didn’t do like YSRC. He allowed benefit shows and ticket price (hikes). However, in this case, I am not fully aware of what happened in front of or behind the scenes with Allu Arjun,” he said.
The Sandhya Theatre incident has divided public opinion, with many questioning how Allu Arjun could be blamed for the stampede death and another section arguing that he cannot escape accountability just because he is a film star.
Amid the face-off, a delegation from the Telugu film industry met Chief Minister Reddy. The Chief Minister, it is learnt, told the delegation that the industry has full support of the state government, but there will 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 the Chief Minister as saying.
