Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Friday, December 13, said that no special allowances would be made for actors or politicians, justifying the police action against popular Telugu actor Allu Arjun in connection with the Sandhya theatre stampede that claimed a woman's life.
Addressing media queries, Reddy asserted that 20 people gathering does not constitute a protest. "If the state didn't take action in this case, everyone would question why special treatment was accorded to an actor," he said.
The arrest, however, drew criticism from opposition parties, with Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao, Union Minister of State Bandi Sanjay, and BJP MLA Raja Singh describing it as unethical.
The CM emphasised that while public discourse centered on the actor, little attention was paid to the deceased victim, Revathi, a Dilshuknagar resident who died during the premier show of "Pushpa 2: The Rule". Her 8-year-old son Teja is currently undergoing treatment at a Hyderabad hospital.
In a significant development, Revathi's husband Bhaskar withdrew his case against Arjun, stating he does not hold the actor responsible for his wife's death.
The Telangana High Court granted Arjun interim bail a day after his arrest. Upon release from Chanchalguda jail on Saturday, the actor stated, "I am a law-abiding citizen and will cooperate. I would like to once again express my condolences to the family. It was an unfortunate incident."