Ruling Congress MLA R Bhoopathi Reddy issued a stern warning to actor Allu Arjun on Tuesday, cautioning him against criticizing Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The MLA from Nizamabad (Rural) declared that Allu Arjun’s films would not be allowed to screen in Telangana if he continued to speak against the Chief Minister.
The MLA emphasized that Congress has always supported the film industry, citing the allocation of land in Hyderabad to aid its growth. However, he criticized Pushpa as a film with no societal benefit, describing it as a smuggler’s story. “You are from Andhra. You came here to live. Be cautious when speaking about our Chief Minister,” Bhoopathi Reddy warned. He also referenced recent protests by members of the Osmania University Joint Action Committee outside the actor’s residence, further threatening a complete boycott of his films in Telangana.
The remarks follow Allu Arjun’s December 21 statement, where the actor labeled the tragic stampede during the Pushpa 2 screening as an accident and refuted allegations made by CM Revanth Reddy. The Chief Minister had earlier criticized the actor for holding a public roadshow at Sandhya Theatre without permission. Allu Arjun denied it was a procession, maintaining that he harbors no ill will toward any political leader, department, or government.
The Sandhya Theatre Incident
The controversy stems from a stampede during a special screening of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, which resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and left her eight-year-old son critically injured.
Following the incident, Hyderabad Police registered a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management. The actor, named as accused No. 11, was arrested on December 13 but was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court the same day. He was released from custody on December 14.
