'No respect for creative industry': Ashwini Vaishnaw slams Congress govt over Allu Arjun's arrest

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday slammed the Congress government in Telangana over the arrest of 'Pushpa 2' actor Allu Arjun.

Taking to his official account on X, Vaishnaw alleged that the left party has 'no respect' for the entertainment industry. Mentioning the stampede that led to Allu Arjun's arrest, Vaishnaw called it a 'mishap' triggered by poor management.

"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.," said Vaishnaw.


The Union Minister also accused Congress of staging a publicity stunt, asking the state government to hold the culprits accountable for the stampede.

"To deflect that blame, they are indulging in such publicity stunts. The Telangana Government should assist those affected and punish those making the arrangements that day instead of continuously attacking film personalities. It is also sad to see this becoming a norm in the one year Congress has been in power there," Vaishnaw wrote on X.

What led to Allu Arjun's arrest?

A tragic stampede on the night of December 4 at Sandhya Theatre resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and the hospitalization of her eight-year-old son. The incident occurred when a large crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of actor Allu Arjun during the premiere of Pushpa-2.

The police have filed a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under sections 105 and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint by the deceased woman’s family.

Following his arrest, Allu Arjun was taken to Gandhi Hospital for medical tests. Last week, the actor had announced a financial aid of Rs 25 lakh to the family of the deceased and expressed his condolences, offering to meet them personally.

Alongside Allu Arjun's arrest, three individuals—one of the theatre's owners, the senior manager, and the lower balcony in-charge—were also taken into custody in connection with the incident.

Authorities have cited overcrowding as the primary cause of the tragedy, as fans rushed to see the actor. Despite being aware of Allu Arjun’s arrival, the theatre management failed to implement adequate security measures or provide separate entry/exit routes for the actor’s team.

Around 9:30 pm, as Allu Arjun arrived with his security, chaos ensued when the crowd surged to enter the theatre. His security team pushed back the public, further escalating the situation.

In the ensuing jostling, Revathi and her son were trapped in the lower balcony, where they were suffocated. Police on duty performed CPR on the boy, but Revathi was later declared dead at the hospital. The boy is currently under treatment at a Super Speciality Hospital.

The Telugu star was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court, shortly after being sent to a 14-day judicial custody by a local court in the state.