To everyone’s horror and dismay, Allu Arjun, the power star of T-town and the national award-winning actor, has been arrested for aiding the controversial stampede in releasing his latest movie Pushpa 2. The incident caused the death of a 39-year-old woman M Revathi and serious injury to her 9-year-old son. The news sent shockwaves across the Telugu film industry and political circles.
Scores of fans thronged outside Chikkadpally police station with the actor’s statement having been recorded. The Telugu film industry, over the top like director Dil Raju and veteran star K Chiranjeevi, extended their support in large numbers at the police station to stand by the actor. His family, including his father Allu Aravind, and brother Allu Sirish, also attended the proceedings.
Allu Arjun arrested, political parties defend him
Political leaders of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) showed opposition to the arrest. BRS working president K T Rama Rao has voiced disapproval of the decision as morbid and excessive. It is capricious to hold Allu Arjun to be a common criminal for a matter that is not his fault directly. By contrast to attempts to block seizures at the system level, the government is now orienting itself toward a culturally respected icon, Rao suggested.
Concurring, the BJP MLA T Raja has blamed the administration for the accident. Attributing the incident to the crowd control failure, he also stated that Allu Arjun was unfairly made to bear the brunt. “This unjust treatment reflects poorly on the government. Instead of attacking the wrong system through devious ways to target the venerated one,” he went on to say.
Fans and advocates are expressing pleas for accountability and transparency from those in power, and [also] expressing their desire that culpability be placed upon the actor’s shoulders. In the heat of the argument, the episode has raised a whole host of more general questions about public safety and the management of high-profile events.
Also, see: Tragedy again: Another Allu Arjun fan reported dead during Pushpa 2 screening