A statement from YSR Congress Party president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy condemning the arrest of national award-winning Tollywood superstar Allu Arjun by the Hyderabad police in connection with the Sandhya Theatre stampede incident has raised eyebrows in political circles.
Jagan rarely comments on issues related to the film industry. At most, he might post a tweet or two on the birthdays of prominent stars like Chiranjeevi or Akkineni Nagarjuna or issue a condolence message when a celebrity passes away.
Hence, his decision to issue a formal statement criticizing Allu Arjun’s arrest has come as a surprise.
The reaction would have been understandable if the arrest had been carried out by the Chandrababu Naidu-led government in Andhra Pradesh, as it could serve a political purpose for Jagan. However, the arrest was made by the Hyderabad police under the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government in Telangana.
Moreover, Allu Arjun has minimal political affiliations in Andhra Pradesh. His only known connection was his support for his family friend Shilpa Ravichandra Reddy, who contested on a YSRCP ticket in Nandyal during the last assembly elections. This minor association hardly justifies Jagan’s strong reaction.
Even if Jagan intended to politicize the issue by suggesting that Naidu pressured Revanth Reddy’s government to arrest Allu Arjun, such a narrative lacks credibility and offers no significant political advantage.
So, what prompted Jagan to defend Allu Arjun?
According to sources, former minister and YSRCP floor leader in the legislative council Botsa Satyanarayana advised Jagan to issue the statement, arguing that it could help the party gain the support of a segment of the Kapu community, which backs the Allu family.
While it’s unclear how effective Botsa’s strategy will be, Jagan’s statement seemed half-hearted, as he has no known personal connection with Allu Arjun or his family.
