Allu Arjun clarified that his appearance was not a roadshow, but rather a gesture of respect, as he was requested to wave to the fans to facilitate their dispersal.
Allu Arjun on Saturday responded to the political criticisms and addressed the misinformation on the Pushpa 2 stampede incident. The actor reflected on the unfortunate incident that claimed the life of his fan Revathi and severely injured her son Sri Tej. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. He also refuted several allegations put against him by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi at the Telangana Assembly.
Here are ten statements that Allu Arjun said to set the record straight around the ongoing ‘misinformation’ and ‘false allegations’ against him on the Sandhya Theatre stampede.
- Allu Arjun began by mentioning the primary reason for holding the press conference. He emphasized that he doesn’t blame anyone, including the government or officials, for the unfortunate incident. He explained that his silence until now was intentional, aiming to avoid fueling further speculation and misinformation.
- Allu Arjun shared his account of the events, describing the woman’s death and the child’s injury as an unfortunate accident, devoid of any intentional fault. He also informed the media that he was receiving regular hourly updates on the child’s condition. “I have been constantly checking on the health of the child every few hours,” he said.
- The actor lamented that the situation had been distorted by misinformation and miscommunication, asserting that much of the prevailing narrative was inaccurate. “A deliberate attempt has been made to assassinate my character,” he expressed his disappointment over the damage to his character. Despite the film’s success, all celebratory events had been cancelled to focus on addressing the issue, he added.
- He clarified that his appearance was not a roadshow, but rather a gesture of respect, as he was requested to wave to the fans to facilitate their dispersal. “It was not a roadshow or procession. I just waved to people and went inside the theatre. No policeman approached me to leave. My own manager told me that there is an uncontrollable crowd and asked me to leave,” he said.
- Responding to CM Revanth’s allegations, Arjun said that the permission was obtained from the theatre management, and the police cleared the way for his entry. As a law-abiding citizen, he emphasized that he would have departed immediately if informed that permission had not been granted.
- He also recounted his actions during the stampede incident, explaining that the police were clearing the area, which led him to believe that the situation was under control. When his car was unable to move forward near the theatre, he exited the vehicle and waved at fans, hoping to facilitate their peaceful dispersal.
- He also revealed that he promptly left the venue when was informed that the venue was overcrowded. At the time, no officials notified him of any potential danger. It wasn’t until the following morning that he became aware of the tragic death. “I had been to Vizag, Vijayawada, and the outskirts of Hyderabad when I got to know about the incident. I consoled their families. So why wouldn’t I go visit the family of my fan, who has suffered such an irreplaceable loss?” he said.
- The actor dismissed the allegations of inciting violence or using threatening language during the events surrounding his film’s premiere. He rejected claims that he had expressed a desire to “break bones”, labeling them as entirely false.
- Arjun expressed sorrow over not being able to meet the bereaved family. “My hands were tied by my legal team. They told me that I shouldn’t visit the family since they had filed a complaint against me. I couldn’t come out of the shock. After getting to know about the unfortunate death of my fan, I was shell-shocked. I was allowed to put out a video of a condolence message and nothing more,” he said.
- “For two decades, you’ve witnessed my consistent behaviour and character. I’ve never engaged in fabricated stories about my personal life or film successes. It’s disheartening to see unfounded claims surfacing now.” he said. “Please do not assassinate my character. I have always aimed to entertain, not harm,” he said, before concluding without taking questions citing legal restrictions. “He also stated that his primary focus would continue to be contributing to Telugu cinema and striving for its global recognition through his work.
On December 4, a stampede-like situation occurred at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of ‘Pushpa 2’, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old woman and hospitalization of her eight-year-old son. The incident involved thousands of fans attempting to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun. Subsequently, the city police filed a case against the actor, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station, based on a complaint lodged by the deceased woman’s family. The actor was taken into custody by the city police on December 13 in connection with the woman’s death. However, he was granted interim bail for four weeks by the Telangana High Court on the same day and was released from prison on December 14.