Allu Arjun's arrest ignites political storm; parties slam Congress
What's the story
The arrest of National Award-winning actor Allu Arjun has triggered a political storm in Hyderabad.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao called the arrest "uncalled for" as he "isn't directly responsible," and called the action by the ruling Congress a "pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers."
"There is always space for respect and dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high handed behavior of government," he wrote on X.
Official stance
Chief Minister distances himself from Allu Arjun's arrest
He also said that if authorities are to follow the same logic, then Chief Minister Revanth Reddy should be arrested for causing the "death of two innocent people....in Hyderabad because of the fear psychosis caused by HYDRA."
HYDRA or the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency, is an independent agency dedicated to improving disaster management and safeguarding assets in Hyderabad and the surrounding areas.
Reddy, on his part, has distanced himself and his government from the actor's arrest.
Twitter Post
Police vehicle carrying Arjun arrives at Nampally Court
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Police vehicle, carrying actor Allu Arjun, arrives at Nampally Court.
— ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2024
As per L Ramesh Kumar, ACP Chikkadpally, Allu Arjun has been arrested in connection with the case of the death of a woman at Sandhya theatre on December 4, during the reported… pic.twitter.com/ctnmjc2Kqt
Political criticism
BJP MLA criticizes police department over Allu Arjun's arrest
He clarified that neither he nor his administration had any involvement.
Reddy emphasized that "no political reason" should be inferred from this event, attempting to separate it from any potential political motivations or implications.
Aside from KTR, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T Raja Singh has slammed the arrest, calling it a "glaring failure of the police department."
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar also condemned the manner of arrest, calling it "a disgraceful act of mismanagement and disrespect."
Incident details
Police attribute stampede to Allu Arjun's unscheduled appearance
Arjun was arrested in connection with a stampede outside a Hyderabad theater showing his film Pushpa 2: The Rule last week, which killed one woman.
The police have claimed that Arjun's sudden visit to the theater caused overcrowding and chaos.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said there was no prior intimation of the actor's visit, which resulted in poor crowd management.
Following his arrest, Arjun has filed a petition requesting that further legal proceedings be postponed until Monday.