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Vaishnaw blamed the Congress-led Telangana govt for “engaging in publicity stunts” to shift the blame over the stampede situation outside Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (PTI Image)
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Congress over actor Allu Arjun’s arrest, stating that the party shows “no respect for the creative industry”.
Allu Arjun was arrested earlier in the day at his home in Hyderabad in connection with the death of a woman during a stampede at the premiere of his blockbuster film ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule‘.
“Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again,” the railway minister wrote in a post on X.
Vaishnaw blamed the Congress-led Telangana government for “engaging in publicity stunts” to shift blame for the incident.
“The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts,” he said.
Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again.The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024
“The Telangana Government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities. It is also sad to see this becoming a norm in the one year Congress has been in power there,” the BJP leader stated.
Meanwhile, the actor, who was arrested and sent to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the stampede case, was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The court granted him a four-week interim bail and scheduled the next hearing for January 21, 2025. Two others arrested in the case were also granted bail.
Revanth Reddy Clarifies Govt Stance
Responding on Allu Arjun’s arret, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy denied any involvement of the state government. “Law will take its own due course, and nobody will intervene in the investigation of the case,” he stated.
Political Leaders Condemn Actor’s Arrest
Several BJP leaders, along with ministers from other political parties, condemned the arrest of Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, accusing the ruling Congress in Telangana of targeting him unfairly.
Union Coal Minister and BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy expressed strong disapproval, calling the arrest “irresponsible and unwarranted.”
“The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover, the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police authorities and the arrest clearly intends to target an individual,” Reddy, who also serves as the BJP president in Telangana, wrote in a post on X.
The arrest of Shri Allu Arjun is irresponsible & unwarranted. The intent behind this arrest seems motivated as the organizers of the show claim to have informed the concerned authorities in advance. Moreover the onus and responsibility of law & order lies with the police…— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) December 13, 2024
Another BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar slammed the arrest, stating that Allu Arjun deserved better treatment. On X, he described how the actor was “lifted straight from his bedroom” without being allowed time to change.
“A star of his stature, who brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment,” Kumar noted.
Meanwhile, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao also condemned the actions of the state government, accusing it of treating the star like a “common criminal.”
Rao said the arrest was the “pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers.” “I totally sympathise with the victims of the stampede but who failed really? Treating Allu Arjun garu as a common criminal is uncalled for, especially for something he isn’t directly responsible,” Rao sated.
Condemning the arrest, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that blaming the actor over the stampede was not fair.
Jagan also noted that the actor has displayed a responsible approach in expressing grief over the tragedy and offered support to the affected family during this difficult time.
“But how far is it fair to hold him directly responsible for this incident? Even though he was not involved in the stampede, it is not acceptable to frame criminal cases against Arjun and arrest him,” he wrote on X.
(With inputs from agencies)
