Allu Aravind, father of Telugu film actor Allu Arjun, during a press conference at his residence in Hyderabad on Saturday, December 14, 2024.
After protesters vandalized Allu Arjun’s Jubilee Hills residence in Hyderabad on Sunday (December 22, 2024), the Telugu superstar’s father and filmmaker Allu Aravind said such incidents should not be encouraged. Protests had erupted in support of the woman who was killed in the stampede outside Sandhya theater on December 4, when Arjun reportedly made an unannounced appearance at a special screening of his latest film. Pushpa 2: Rules,
Addressing the media, Arvind said, “Everyone has seen what happened at our house today. Now is the time for us to act accordingly; Now is not the right time to react on anything. The police have taken the criminals into custody and registered a case against them. If anyone else comes here to create ruckus, the police is ready to take him away. “Nobody should encourage such incidents.” Arvind said that he is confident that the law will take its course.
Tension had flared up on Sunday when Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OU JAC) members protested when they forcefully entered the premises of Arjun’s residence, broke flower pots and pelted stones. Later in the evening, a group gathered outside the house and insisted on being allowed inside. When the staff refused to open the gate, some people scaled the walls, entered the premises and caused more damage. Security personnel intervened to stop them from reaching the house, resulting in a confrontation.
The protesters were demanding justice for Revathi who lost her life in the stampede. The tragedy that shocked the film fraternity happened when Arjun went to the theater with his family and co-star Rashmika Mandanna for a special show. While Revathi lost her life, her eight-year-old son, Mr Tej, suffered serious injuries and is on a ventilator after suffering brain damage.
Allu Arjun, who had promised support for the victims, is in trouble after allegations that no prior information was given to the Hyderabad Police by the actor’s team or the film crew about his presence at the theatre. Arjun was arrested on 13 December and later released on bail on 14 December.
On Saturday, while discussing the issue in the Telangana Assembly, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy criticized the film fraternity for its irresponsible behavior over the stampede. Hours later, without naming anyone, Arjun described the situation as being fueled by misinformation and miscommunication, and claimed that much of the story being shared was wrong. “There has been an attempt at character assassination,” he said.
On Monday, the Hyderabad City Police released a video detailing the timeline of events that led to the stampede.
published – December 23, 2024 01:56 PM IST
