Allu Arjun: Telangana CM’s Pushpa 2 stampede allegations attempt ‘character assassination’

Telugu actor Allu Arjun has dismissed allegations discussed in the Telangana Legislative Assembly regarding his conduct following a stampede at the Sandhya 70 MM cinema hall as “character assassination.”

Speaking at a press conference in Hyderabad alongside his father, Allu Aravind, and a lawyer, the actor termed the tragic incident, which claimed the life of a 35-year-old woman and left her eight-year-old son critically injured, an unfortunate accident.

Also read: Stampede at Pushpa 2 event: Telangana CM blames Allu Arjun for tragedy

“This is an unfortunate accident, and it is nobody’s fault. Everyone, including the police and myself, acted with positive intentions,” Arjun stated, offering condolences to the family and wishing the injured child a speedy recovery. He emphasized that misinformation and miscommunication had distorted the narrative around the tragedy.

Addressing criticism, Arjun clarified that he only waved to fans at the request of organizers to help disperse the crowd. “Had I known there was no permission, I would have turned back,” he said, denying any negligence on his part.

The actor also revealed he was unaware of the fatalities until the following day. His team advised against visiting the hospital due to legal implications. Arjun emphasized that celebratory events for Pushpa 2 had been canceled to focus on the issue.

“This has been painted as a character attack despite my best intentions,” he concluded, reaffirming his commitment to supporting the affected family.