Case filed against actor Vijay Deverakonda under SC/ST act for alleged remarks on tribals

A legal case has been registered against popular actor Vijay Deverakonda under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act over alleged remarks made during a film’s pre-release event that reportedly offended tribal communities.

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The incident dates back to April, when Deverakonda spoke at the promotional event of the film Retro, featuring actor Surya. In his speech, he allegedly made a controversial comparison between a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and tribal wars from centuries ago, which led to outrage among members of the tribal community.

On June 17, a formal complaint was filed by Nenavath Ashok Kumar Naik alias Ashok Rathod, who is the State President of the Joint Action Committee of Tribal Communities. He accused the actor of drawing a racially offensive parallel, claiming that Deverakonda's words equated tribal people with terrorists, thereby deeply insulting them.

Following the complaint, police registered a case and have initiated an investigation. Rathod insisted that such public remarks from influential personalities can cause serious social harm and must be addressed under the provisions of the law.

In response, the actor had earlier taken to social media platform X on May 3, stating that he never intended to offend or demean any community, especially the Scheduled Tribes. He emphasized his message was about unity, peace, and national progress, and expressed regret if his words were misinterpreted.