BRS, BJP leaders slam Telangana govt over Allu Arjun's arrest following Pushpa 2 stampede

BRS and BJP leaders have condemned the Telangana government's handling of Allu Arjun's arrest over the Pushpa 2 stampede, blaming the authorities for poor crowd management.

BRS leader KT Rama Rao and BJP representatives have strongly criticised Telangana’s ruling Congress party over the arrest of actor Allu Arjun in connection with a deadly stampede at a Hyderabad theater. The stampede, which occurred last week during a screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule, led to the tragic death of a woman and left her son injured.

KTR condemned the arrest, calling it a reflection of the “insecurity of the rulers,” and argued that treating the actor as a “common criminal” was unjust. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), KTR expressed his sympathy for the victims but questioned the government’s handling of the incident. He emphasised that the actor was not directly responsible for the tragedy and criticised the government’s “high-handed behaviour” in dealing with the situation.

The controversy began when Allu Arjun, along with music director Devi Sri Prasad, made an unscheduled appearance at the theatre to promote the film. Despite the large crowd, the theatre did not have proper arrangements, such as separate entry or exit points, contributing to the chaos. Police reported that Arjun’s security team struggled to control the crowd, which led to the tragic incident.

A 35-year-old woman, caught in the surge, suffocated and later died at a nearby hospital. Her 9-year-old son was also injured in the stampede. Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand confirmed that neither the theatre management nor the actor's team had informed the authorities about the visit, which worsened the situation.

BJP MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar joined the criticism, calling the arrest “a disgraceful act of mismanagement and disrespect.” He said that Allu Arjun, a National Award-winning actor who has brought global recognition to Indian cinema, deserved better treatment. Kumar placed the blame for the stampede squarely on the Congress government’s failure to manage the crowd, stating that proper arrangements should have been in place for such a high-profile event.