The arrest of Allu Arjun in connection with a tragic stampede at the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad has drawn strong reactions from fans, film industry colleagues, and political figures. The incident, which took place on December 4, resulted in the heartbreaking death of a 35-year-old woman and left her young son hospitalized. While Allu Arjun was questioned by the police and later arrested, many are rallying in his support, calling for a fair and thorough investigation, and questioning the fairness of blaming the actor for the incident.
Among those voicing their support for Allu Arjun are renowned Telugu actress Rashmika Mandanna and the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, both of whom have condemned the arrest and expressed solidarity with the actor.
Rashmika Mandanna, who is a close colleague and friend of Allu Arjun, took to social media to express her disbelief over the situation. She wrote, "I can’t believe what I am seeing right now. The incident that happened was an unfortunate and deeply saddening incident. However, it is disheartening to see everything being blamed on a single individual. This situation is both unbelievable and heartbreaking." Rashmika emphasized that while the incident was tragic, it was unfair to hold one person entirely responsible, especially when many factors contributed to the unfortunate outcome.
Similarly, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, publicly criticized the arrest and spoke out against the unfair treatment of the actor. In a statement, he said, "The loss of a woman's life in the stampede at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theater is incomparable to the family's pain. At the same time, Allu Arjun expressed his grief and said that he would stand by the family. But how fair is it to hold him directly responsible for this incident? Even though he was not involved in the stampede, it is not acceptable to frame criminal cases against Arjun and arrest him. I strongly condemn the arrest of Allu Arjun." His statement reflects a broader sentiment that the actor should not be held solely accountable for the disaster that occurred.
The incident at Sandhya Theatre, which was intended to be a celebration of Pushpa 2's premiere, quickly escalated into a chaotic and tragic event as large crowds of fans gathered in an attempt to see Allu Arjun and the film's team. The stampede-like situation led to the tragic death of the woman, and her young son was also injured in the melee.