Pawan Kalyan defends Allu Arjun in 'Pushpa 2' stampede case
What's the story
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor, Pawan Kalyan, has come out in defense of his relative and fellow actor Allu Arjun as the latter faces the heat of a fatal stampede at the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule.
The stampede took place on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, where fans had flocked to catch a glimpse of Arjun.
A woman named Revathi lost her life and her eight-year-old son was injured in the melee.
Kalyan's statement
'Not fair to make Allu Arjun solely responsible...'
Speaking to the press at Mangalagiri, Kalyan said, "The law is equal for all, and I do not blame the police in such incidents, they act with public safety in mind."
"That said, the theater staff should have informed Allu Arjun earlier about any issues. Once he sat in the seat, they should have instructed him to vacate it if necessary."
"It is not fair to make Allu Arjun solely responsible for the incident," he added.
Empathy underscored
Kalyan emphasized empathy and support for victim's family
Kalyan further said, "We should have conveyed earlier that we are all here to support the family. There should have been a sense of regret for the mistake, even if it happened without their direct involvement."
"There is a clear lack of humanity in this matter. Everyone should have gone to Revathi's house to offer reassurance and condolences."
"Arjun, too, feels the pain of knowing that someone lost their life because of this incident."
Praise for CM
Kalyan praised Telangana CM's response to the incident
Kalyan also praised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his timely response to the developments after the stampede.
He said, "Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, in his capacity as Chief Minister, responded appropriately to the developments following the stampede."
"Sometimes, decisions are dictated by circumstances. In the past, even Chiranjeevi used to watch movies with his fans. Otherwise, he would wear a mask and go to the theater alone."
Legal proceedings
Arjun's arrest and bail in the ongoing case
Arjun was arrested on December 13 in connection with the deadly stampede. He was granted interim bail for four weeks by the Telangana High Court and released from jail on December 14.
Now, the bail hearing, which was scheduled for Monday (December 30), has been postponed to January 3.
The police are probing if proper permissions were taken for Arjun's appearance at the theater, as his unannounced arrival reportedly worsened the situation.