Allegations against me humiliating, character assassination: Allu Arjun after CM Revanth Reddy slams him

Arjun denied that police had informed him about the stampede and death of the woman.

Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Allu Arjun refuted claims that he acted irresponsibly during the screening of his Pushpa 2 movie at Sandhya Theatre, which resulted in a stampede that killed a woman on December 4.

Responding to the remarks of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and AIMIM floor leader in the assembly Akbaruddin Owaisi, the Pushpa actor on Saturday told reporters that there has been an attempt at character assassination against him and a lot of misinformation has been going around.

He added upon the advice from the legal team, Arjun said he didn't visit the hospital but would stand in support of the family. Arjun also denied that police had informed him about the stampede and death of the woman.

“This was purely an accident. Everyone involved had positive intentions. My condolences go out to the family. I have always wanted to entertain people. Theatre is like a temple to me. I don't want to blame anyone, as there has been a lot of misinformation. I am happy with the government's response and find the allegations against me to be wrong, humiliating, and a form of character assassination," the actor said.

He added, "For the past 15 days, I have been dealing with these false allegations. I have put in three years of effort and would like to understand the public's response by watching the film in the theatre. The police were present to clear the area. There was no road show or procession. No police approached me. Someone from the theatre management informed me that there was overcrowding outside and suggested I leave. That’s what I did. I found out about the tragic death the next day, and I was shocked."

He expressed that this has been a genuine low point in his life and has been extremely humiliating.

“I am working for Telugu pride, and I believe that nobody is at fault. Everyone involved worked with the best intentions, and no one can be blamed. The government has been supportive of the film industry. I have never made any disparaging remarks. I have reasonable credibility; I earned this respect after 22 years of hard work, and it feels like it has all disappeared in one evening," Arjun said.

Explaining his side of the story, he said, "The theatre had sought the necessary permissions, and as a law-abiding citizen, if they had asked me to return, I would have done so. I merely waved my hand to clear the way, which is something every celebrity does. One of my managers mentioned that the crowd was uncontrollable, but fortunately, no police approached me. I would like to offer my support to the family and the child affected by this incident. I have never been irresponsible. This has been a significant lesson for me, and I want to understand the pulse of the people by watching the movie in the theatre. I have been sitting alone for the past 15 days. This truly is the lowest point in my life. While everyone was celebrating the movie's massive hit, I found myself sitting alone."