Fri Dec 13 09:44:55 UTC 2024: ## Telangana Actor Allu Arjun Arrested After Stampede, Sparks Political Row
**Hyderabad, December 13, 2024** – The arrest of Tollywood star Allu Arjun following a stampede at a Hyderabad theatre screening of his film “Pushpa 2: The Rule” has ignited a political firestorm in Telangana. Allu Arjun was questioned and later arrested in connection with the incident, which resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman last week.
The arrest has drawn sharp criticism from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR), who accused the ruling Congress government of acting out of insecurity. KTR, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), expressed sympathy for the stampede victims but argued that treating Allu Arjun as a common criminal was unwarranted, given he wasn’t directly responsible for the tragedy. He described the arrest as the “pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers.”
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy swiftly refuted KTR’s claims, asserting that neither he nor the government played any role in the actor’s arrest. He insisted there was no political motive behind the action.
The stampede occurred after Allu Arjun made an unannounced appearance at the theatre. The ensuing crowd surge led to the death of the woman and injuries to her nine-year-old son. Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand stated that neither the theatre management nor the actor’s team had informed authorities of the visit, and that inadequate crowd control measures were in place.
Allu Arjun’s legal team filed a petition to delay his arrest until Monday.
The BJP’s Thakur (Tiger) Raja Singh also condemned the arrest, blaming the police for failing to manage the crowd effectively and calling for accountability from those responsible for public safety. Both the BRS and BJP leaders characterized the arrest as unfair and politically motivated. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about crowd management and safety at public events in Hyderabad.
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