Law equal for all; not fair to make Allu Arjun only culprit: Pawan Kalyan on theatre stampede

The law is equal for one and all and the police is not to blame as they act keeping public safety in mind, said Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who finally broke his silence on the stampede incident at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre during the screening of ‘Pushpa 2’ on December 4.

Pawan Kalyan, who is the leader of Janasena party, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance, refused to blame Telangana Police for the action against actor Allu Arjun in the theatre stampede case.

He even praised Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy as a "great leader" and felt that Allu Arjun should have visited the family of the woman killed in the stampede earlier.

"It would have been better if Allu Arjun had reached out to the victim's family earlier. This could have eased tensions,” he said when asked what should have been done to prevent the row over the stampede incident.

Also watch: Allu Arjun in police custody over woman's death at Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere

Shocking death

Allu Arjun’s visit to Sandhya theatre where his movie 'Pushpa 2' was being screened, led to chaos and a stampede. A 35-year-old woman, Revathi, died in the incident and her son was injured. Shortly after the tragedy, the Hyderabad police registered a case against Allu Arjun and he was arrested. However, he was soon let off on bail.

Pointing out that it is important for law enforcement authorities to prioritise public safety, and also clarifying that he is unaware of the complete details of what happened behind the scenes, Kalyan told reporters, "The law is equal for all. In such incidents, the police act keeping security in mind.”

Further, he blamed the theatre staff for not informing Allu Arjun in advance about the situation. “Once he sat in his seat, it became harder to manage the chaos,” he pointed out.

Kalyan said Revathi’s death shocked him and added that there was a lack of humanity in the way the matter was handled. “Everyone should have gone to Revathi’s house to express regret and offer reassurance. People are angry because there was no immediate outreach to the victim’s family.”

Also read: 'Pushpa 2' stampede | Allu Arjun appears before court virtually, files regular bail plea

Cinema, a collaborative effort

However, he also defended Allu Arjun stating that only the actor cannot be blamed for the incident. "Cinema is a collaborative effort, it’s not fair to make Allu Arjun the only culprit. He is deeply pained by the incident," he said.

Kalyan, also a renowned actor, is related to Allu Arjun.

Allu Arjun’s aunt is married to Kalyan’s brother Chiranjeevi. Kalyan said his brother Chranjeevi would also attend screenings of his movies but he would often wore a mask or disguise himself to avoid creating a stir.

He felt the industry should learn from this incident to ensure safety and humanity prevail in the future.

Praising Revanth Reddy

The Andhra deputy CM described Telangana Chief Minister Reddy as a leader who has risen from humble beginnings.

"Revanth Reddy is a great leader. He didn't do like YSRC. He allowed benefit shows and ticket price (hikes). However, in this case, I am not fully aware of what happened in front of or behind the scenes with Allu Arjun," he said.

Many have sided with Allu Arjun saying he cannot be blamed for the stampede death, while another section has argued that he cannot escape accountability just because he is a film star. Pertinently, during the assembly elections, Allu Arjun went to Nandyal before the elections in support of MLA Silpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy of YSR Congress Party.

Since then, rumours of a family rift have been spreading, with Arjun and Pawan fans warring on social media.

During that time, Allu Arjun released a statement which partly said, “Firstly, I want to clarify that I'm not affiliated with any political party. I remain neutral and support my people, regardless of their political affiliations. This includes my uncle Pawan Kalyan, whom I'll always stand by, along with my friend Ravi and my father-in-law, Mr. Reddy.”

Also read: Stampede death: Law will take its course, Revanth tells Telugu film industry

No compromise

Meanwhile, a delegation from the Telugu film industry recently met Chief Minister Reddy.

According to reports, the Chief Minister, told the delegation that the industry has the full support of the state government. However, he said that there will be no compromise on law and order.

"As the Chief Minister, it is my responsibility to enforce the law. I do not have any personal preferences," sources quoted Revanth Reddy as saying.