New Delhi:
There will be no compromise in ensuring law and order – Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s firm message to Telugu movie actors, director, and producers Thursday in a big meeting amid strained ties between the state and the film fraternity over the ‘Pushpa 2′ stampede row – in which a 35-year-old woman was killed and her son, 8, injured – and the arrest of actor Allu Arjun.
And, in a significant remark, the Chief Minister said crowd-control is as much the responsibility of celebrities as it is that of the police, and that actors, when appearing in public – as Allu Arjun did on December 4 at the city’s Sandhya Theatre – had to work with the cops to maintain the peace.
Further, Mr Reddy also banned, for now, benefit shows or special screenings of movies and warned private security personnel, such as those employed by high-profile actors like Mr Arjun. That warning followed a claim by Hyderabad Police that bouncers working for the actor had behaved “recklessly” during the stampede, and that their aggressive actions had aggravated the incident.
The meeting today was attended by a number of the Telugu film industry’s biggest names, including Allu Arjun’s father Allu Arvind, and Dil Raju, the Chair of the state’s Film Development Corporation.
All of this follows the death of a young woman, Revathi, at the stampede at Sandhya Theatre, and the serious injury to her young son, Sri Tej, who this week was taken of an assisted breathing device.
On Wednesday, Allu Arvind told reporters a sum of Rs 2 crore would be given to the woman’s husband as a measure of compensation for his wife’s death and for the future of his son.
READ | Allu Arjun’s Father Says 2 Crore For Boy Injured In ‘Pushpa 2‘ Stampede
The police believe the stampede was triggered by Allu Arjun making an unannounced appearance at the theatre. As news of his arrival spread, a mob of adoring fans jostled, pushed, and shoved each other for a glimpse of the star, and the woman died in that confusion.
However, Allu Arjun’s team contested that claim; last week they released a copy of a letter they said had been sent to the police on December 2, 48 hours before Mr Arjun’s arrival at the theatre, in which they mentioned the actor, other cast members, and the director would be present.
READ | After Allu Arjun’s Arrest, Letter Contradicts Cops’ “No Info” Claim
The police, though, dismissed the letter, saying that it, in itself, was not enough, and had to be backed by the actor’s team and the theatre management meeting the cops to provide details.
The police alleged Mr Arjun arrived at the theatre at 9.30 pm and held an impromptu roadshow – waving to fans from the sunroof of his car – as he did so, and that this was against their advice.
READ | In Stampede Row, CCTV Shows Cops Escorting Allu Arjun From Theatre
He then reportedly spent 15-20 minutes outside the theatre, during which time the crowd swelled, before disappearing inside. The stampede broke out shortly thereafter and was aggravated, the police have alleged, by the ‘reckless’ actions of Mr Arjun’s security team and the theatre’s bouncers.
Allu Arjun, however, has firmly denied any responsibility for the stampede, pointing out he has no control over the actions of others and that the police had been informed of his movements.
READ | “Misinformation, Character Assassination”: Actor Allu Arjun On Stampede Row
“I just waved to people and went inside. No cop asked me to leave… my manager told me there is a crowd and asked me to leave,” he said, describing the incident as “very unfortunate” and criticising what he called “misinformation” and “character assassination” against him.
