'Who failed really': KT Rama speaks up against Allu Arjun's arrest

BRS leader KT Rama Rao criticized the arrest of actor Allu Arjun linked to a stampede in Hyderabad that killed a woman and injured her son.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao today hit out against the arrest of actor Allu Arjun in connection with the death of a woman during the premiere of his latest movie 'Pushpa 2: The Rise'. The actor was taken into custody on Friday afternoon, amid tight security, from his residence and taken to Chikkadpally police station in a police vehicle.

Allu Arjun is being questioned by police in connection with a stampede at a Pushpa 2 screening.

KT Rama Rao, the son of former Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao, voiced his strong disapproval of the police action against the actor, calling the detention an example of "insecurity of the rulers."

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rao sympathized with the victims of the stampede but questioned who was truly responsible for the tragedy.

"Arrest of National Award winning star Allu Arjun is the pinnacle of insecurity of the rulers! I totally sympathize with the victims of the stampede but who failed really?" KT Rama Rao tweeted.

"Treating Allu Arjun Garu as a common criminal is uncalled for, especially for something he isn’t directly responsible for. There is always space for respect & dignified conduct. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of the government," he added.

The BRS leader further drew a comparison to another incident in Hyderabad, where two people died due to panic during an event, suggesting that if the same logic were applied, Congress leader Revanth Reddy should be held accountable for those deaths as well.

What is the stampede case?

A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son has been hospitalised in the incident which took place on December 4 night.

The incident occurred on the night of December 4, when a massive crowd gathered at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad to catch a glimpse of the actor. As fans surged forward in excitement, a stampede ensued, leading to the unfortunate death of the woman. Her eight-year-old son was also injured and was hospitalised following the chaos.

The victim's family filed a complaint, leading to the registration of a case by the Chikkadpally police on December 5. Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management are named in the case under Sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Allu Arjun on December 11 approached the Telangana High Court seeking to quash the FIR registered against him in connection with the death of a woman.