Anurag Thakur came out in support of Allu Arjun amid stampede row. (FILE)
BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday came out in support of 'Pushpa 2' star Allu Arjun and suggested that some people are trying to tarnish the image of Telugu actor.
Although the specifics of Mr Thakur's statement are unclear, it's likely a response to the ongoing tensions between the Congress government in Telangana and the BJP.
"If you look at the contribution of Telugu actors in the film industry, they have put the film and Indian cinema on the global map. But some people are trying to pull them down on floor mat," Anurag Thakur told ANI.
The BJP leader was reacting to the actions of the Telangana police against actor Allu Arjun after a stampede incident at a theatre during the premiere of his film 'Pushpa 2: The Rule'.
"If you look at the last few years, Allu Arjun got the National Award in Narendra Modi's government, Chiranjeevi got the Lifetime Achievement Award and their contribution has been appreciated by the whole country and the world. On the other hand, look at the films, whether it is 'RRR', 'Pushpa', 'KGF', 'Baahubali' all of them have brought fame to Indian cinema. I think instead of creating controversy, efforts should be made to have a dialogue, take care of safety and not do politics," he added.
Anurag Thakur said that the statements of Congress leaders and MLAs in the state put question marks on the intention of the state government.
Earlier in the day, Telangana Congress MLA Bhupathi Reddy issued a stern warning to actor Allu Arjun, threatening to prevent the release of his films in the state unless he refrains from making further comments about the Chief Minister.
Speaking at a public meeting in Nizamabad, Mr Reddy stated that Mr Arjun should respect his position as an actor and stay focused on his career.
The Congress MLA said, "I am warning you not to speak about our Chief Minister. You're from Andhra and should behave like one. You have come here for livelihood. I am speaking as a ruling party MLA, so respect the position given to you and do your business. You are just an actor. You do your work and live; what is your contribution to Telangana? We are issuing a warning to you -- if you don't change your behaviour, Congress workers will not let your movies run."
On Tuesday, actor Allu Arjun was questioned by Hyderabad police in connection with the tragic incident during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2 on December 4.
Meanwhile, the boy injured in the Sandhya Theatre incident during the premiere of 'Pushpa 2' in Hyderabad, Telangana, has responded after 20 days, his father said. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Bhaskar, the father of the injured child, expressed gratitude for the support they are receiving. "The child responded after 20 days. He is responding today. Allu Arjun and the Telangana government are supporting us," he said.
On December 4, when Allu Arjun attended the premiere of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' at Sandhya Theatre, a massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor, and chaos ensued when he waved to fans from the sunroof of his car. This led to the tragic death of a woman named Revathi and injuries to her child.
Following the incident, Allu Arjun was arrested and later released on bail after furnishing a Rs 50,000 bond.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
