Theenmar Mallanna, a Congress leader in Telangana, has lodged a police complaint against Telugu superstar Allu Arjun, accusing his latest film Pushpa 2: The Rise of insulting the police force, reported NDTV. The complaint, filed at the Medipalli police station, also names the movie’s director Sukumar and its producers.
The controversy centres on a scene where the main character, played by Allu Arjun, urinates in a swimming pool while a police officer is present. Mallanna has labelled the scene “disrespectful” and degrading to law enforcement officers, demanding strict action against the filmmakers.
This complaint follows a major controversy surrounding the film’s premiere at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on December 4, where a stampede led to the tragic death of a woman and left her eight-year-old son in critical condition. Police claimed that despite denying permission for the event, Allu Arjun attended it, resulting in his arrest. He is currently out on bail.
The Telangana Police has now issued a fresh notice to the actor, asking him to appear for questioning on Tuesday at 11am. Meanwhile, the woman’s husband, Bhaskar, has indicated he may drop the case against the actor.
Adding to the controversy, Sunday’s violent protests at Allu Arjun’s residence have turned the issue into a political flashpoint. Opposition parties Bharatiya Janata Party and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have accused the ruling Congress government of mishandling the situation.
The BJP and BRS claim that some of the protesters, who attacked Allu Arjun’s house with tomatoes and damaged property, are linked to chief minister Revanth Reddy’s Kodangal assembly constituency. Six individuals, reportedly Osmania University students, have been arrested in connection with the incident.
