Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Tuesday criticized Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, accusing him of politicizing the Sandhya Theatre tragedy and unfairly targeting actor Allu Arjun.
Speaking to reporters, Annamalai remarked, “I think he (Revanth Reddy) is trying to compete over who is the superstar in Telangana. He is trying to show that he is a bigger superstar than Allu Arjun. This is politically motivated. Victimizing and bullying someone is wrong. Did Allu Arjun have an intention or motive for someone to die? It shouldn’t have happened, but blaming him is not right.”
Annamalai further alleged that individuals who created a ruckus and threw stones at Allu Arjun’s residence included people from Revanth Reddy’s constituency, hinting at a politically motivated agenda.
Meanwhile, at a separate press conference earlier, Annamalai confirmed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to visit Tamil Nadu soon. “I met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi yesterday and invited him to inaugurate our state BJP district headquarters. The construction is complete, and we will provide updates soon,” he announced.
The controversy stems from the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre in Telangana on December 4 during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule. Allu Arjun’s public appearance attracted a large crowd, leading to chaos. A woman named Revathi lost her life, and her child, Sri Tej, was injured during the commotion.
Allu Arjun was summoned by Telangana police to appear at the Chikkadpally Police Station for investigation and asked to cooperate. The police stated, “Your presence is essential to elicit answers about the incident and ascertain true facts.”
The actor returned home today after complying with the investigation. Security was heightened outside his residence following protests demanding justice for the deceased.
The political controversy escalated when Chief Minister Revanth Reddy blamed Allu Arjun for the incident, citing the police’s prior denial of permission for the event at Sandhya Theatre.
Allu Arjun, however, refuted allegations of misconduct, describing them as an attempt at “character assassination.”