AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi on Friday, December 21, lashed out at Telugu actor Allu Arjun for allegedly displaying "insensitive" behaviour following a fatal stampede at his film’s premiere, accusing the actor of continuing to watch the movie even after being informed of a woman's death.
Speaking in the Telangana Assembly, Akbaruddin , without taking his name, alleged that upon learning about the stampede casualties at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule, the actor remarked, "The film is going to be a hit now."
"Even after the stampede incident, he watched the film and waved to the crowd from his car on his way back. He does not even bother to check on them and the family," Akbaruddin said. The December 4 incident left several injured, besides claiming a woman's life and causing brain damage to her son.
The controversy led to Allu Arjun's arrest from his residence on December 13. Though a lower court ordered 14-day judicial custody, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail the same day. The actor spent one night in jail due to delays in processing bail documents.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy told the Assembly that the actor had defied police orders by attending the screening. "Before entering the theatre and while exiting, the actor stood Waved to the crowds through the sunroof of his car, leading to thousands of fans jostling to get a glimpse of him," he said.