The way Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the police have handled the case involving Allu Arjun has raised a storm, with accusations of overreach by the government. Reddy, who is also the home minister, has openly supported charges against the actor, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing hurt with dangerous weapons. These charges relate to the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 5 when a stampede, triggered by the appearance of Arjun, reportedly caused the death of a 35-year-old woman.
Critics feel that the accountability being pressed on Arjun is beside the point; rather, the nature of the charges imputes the accident to his deliberate act, an accusation of culpability. Reddy’s impassioned defense, down to remarks about Arjun being a relative and his characterization of the actor as irresponsible, raises questions of bias.
Police on the other hand, said that despite being warned of possible chaos if the star turned up, Arjun went to the theatre and further instigated the situation by surfacing out of his car’s sunroof. An incident that indicates a perennial problem in Telugu film culture is frenzied fandom leading to destructive consequences.
While it’s reasonable to critique Arjun’s actions, the responsibility extends beyond individual celebrities. Many public figures often encourage fan fervor for personal gain, neglecting the risks involved. The legal case against Arjun appears weak, with uncertainties about whether he was informed of police warnings.
Ultimately, the police and the theatre management are responsible for controlling crowd frenzy. Preventive measures need to be more effective and societal attitudes toward fan frenzy have to be addressed. The heavy-handed approach by the government has been widely criticized and could cost Reddy politically, while Arjun has shown grace in the midst of turmoil.
