Allu Arjun attended 'Pushpa-2' screening despite police denial: CM Reddy
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Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday accused top Telugu actor Allu Arjun of attending a screening of 'Pushpa-2' on December 4, despite police denying permission. The CM claimed that even after a woman died in a stampede, the actor did not leave the cinema hall, prompting police to force him out.
The controversy erupted after AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the issue in the Assembly. Reddy referred to circulating videos, accusing Allu Arjun of holding a roadshow and waving to the crowd despite the heavy turnout.
According to Reddy, the management of Sandhya Theatre had submitted a request to the police on December 2 for security during the visit of the actor and other VIPs on December 4. However, the police had rejected the application, citing concerns over crowd management.
Before and after entering the theatre, Allu Arjun reportedly stood through the sunroof of his car, waving to fans, which led to thousands of people jostling to catch a glimpse of him.
Reddy condemned the behavior of film personalities who rushed to meet Allu Arjun at his residence after his arrest but failed to show similar concern for a boy who was hospitalized after being injured in the incident. He urged top film personalities not to be inhuman.
The CM emphasized that there would be no special privileges in the case of tragic incidents like the stampede and assured that the government would not spare those responsible for inconveniencing the public.
The stampede, which occurred during the premiere of *Pushpa-2* at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman, while her 8-year-old son was hospitalized. Thousands of fans had gathered to see Allu Arjun, leading to the chaos.
Following the incident, the police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on a complaint filed by the deceased woman's family at the Chikkadpally police station.
On December 13, Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with the woman's death but was granted a four-week interim bail by the Telangana High Court on the same day. He was released from prison on the morning of December 14.
With PTI inputs