New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday criticized Congress government in Telangana, alleging disrespect for the creative industry following the arrest of actor Allu Arjun in connection with Sandhya Theatre stampede incident.
In a post on X, Vaishnaw said, “Congress has no respect for the creative industry, and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again.” He blamed poor arrangements by the state and local administration for the mishap and accused the government of deflecting responsibility by targeting the actor. Vaishnaw urged Telangana government to focus on helping the victims and holding those responsible for the arrangements accountable.
Congress has no respect for the creative industry and the arrest of Allu Arjun proves it yet again.
The mishap at Sandhya Theatre was a clear case of poor arrangements by the state and local administration. Now, to deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity…
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024
Allu Arjun granted interim bail
Telangana High Court granted interim bail to Allu Arjun on Friday for four weeks after he furnished a personal bond of Rs 50,000. The court scheduled the next hearing for January 21.
Earlier in the day, Allu Arjun was arrested by Telangana Police following an FIR lodged by the husband of a woman who died in a stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre during a screening of his film, Pushpa 2, on December 4. A local court had initially sent the actor to judicial custody before the High Court’s intervention.
Arguments in case
During the bail hearing, Allu Arjun’s counsel, S Niranjan Reddy, argued that the actor should not be treated differently because of his celebrity status. He said that while Arjun’s presence might have excited the crowd, it did not amount to negligence or criminal intent. Reddy cited a Supreme Court ruling emphasizing the importance of liberty, stating that even a single day of deprivation is too much. He criticized the prosecution for requesting more time to file documents while keeping the actor in custody.
Reddy drew parallels with a 2017 case involving actor Shah Rukh Khan, where he was charged after a stampede occurred during a promotional event for his film Raees. The court had observed that Khan had obtained permission for the event and ruled that he was not criminally liable for the deaths, as there was no direct link between his actions and the incident. Similarly, Reddy argued that there was no evidence directly connecting Allu Arjun’s actions to the tragedy at Sandhya Theatre.
