Pushpa 2 stampede row: Allu Arjun calls the allegations 'humiliating and a character assassination'; says, ‘Nobody is at fault’

Allu Arjun is one of the most discussed names in India at this point because his movie Pushpa 2: The Rule has set the ball rolling a bit too wildly. The world has been busy tracking the monstrous box office collections the movie has garnered over the past two weeks and continues to amass. While that feat is massive, the movie is also surrounded by controversy after Allu visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, where his presence led to chaos, resulting in a stampede that took the life of one person and left a young boy severely injured. Allu was arrested by the police in the same row and later released on bail. The actor has now addressed the row, calling the allegations a means to assassinate his character and humiliate him. 

Allu Arjun Breaks Silence on Stampede Row

For the uninitiated, 35-year-old woman Revathi lost her life in a stampede triggered after Allu Arjun visited Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during the screening of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule. Her 8-year-old son, Sri Teja, also present at the venue, suffered asphyxiation and has been in critical condition ever since. Allu later announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the deceased’s family. He also assured them that he would meet them personally and promised to cover Sri's medical expenses.

In a conference held yesterday, December 21, Allu Arjun addressed the allegations, stating they were humiliating and an attempt at character assassination. He said, "There is a lot of misinformation that I behaved in a particular way. These are the wrong allegations. It’s humiliating and a character assassination. There is a lot of misinformation going on, a lot of false allegations, especially character assassination."

Also read: Pushpa: The Rule - Fahadh Faasil’s weak characterisation opposite Allu Arjun disappoints netizens

"It is an unfortunate incident, and genuinely speaking, nobody is at fault. I genuinely think that nobody should be blamed, and I am not here to blame anybody or any department or the government. I am actually thankful to the government because they have been very supportive of the film industry. This is just to state that there is a lot of misinformation and false allegations, and it is just to clear that I've not said anything like that. Please don't judge me. And I just want to say that for three years of my life, I have put into this film, and it means everything to me. I just went to see it in the theatre, and I have been to this theatre 20-30 times. There has been misinformation that I've been very irresponsible while going to the theatre, which is not true at all,” he added.

Allu Arjun has confirmed that he is taking full responsibility for all of Sri Teja's medical expenses. The last update stated that the boy was suffering from asphyxiation and remained in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on life support. Allu mentioned during the conference that he keeps receiving hourly updates about the child’s condition and progress. "I am getting hourly updates about how the kid is doing. He is progressing. The only good thing is that the boy is getting better. My whole attempt is to provide the audience with good entertainment and make people leave with a smile,” he said.

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Also read: Pushpa 2 ending explained: Is Allu Arjun’s nemesis Shekhawat dead? Who is the new villain making a cameo?