The controversy surrounding the "Pushpa 2: The Rule" premiere stampede outside a Hyderabad cinema on December 4 continues to intensify, with Telugu actor Allu Arjun defending himself against accusations of causing the incident, which resulted in the death of a woman and left her 8-year-old son critically injured.

On Sunday, Hyderabad Police released CCTV footage from Sandhya Theatre, showing Allu Arjun and his team being escorted out under heavy police security following the stampede. This came after Allu Arjun's statement at a press conference the previous day, in which he denied any police intervention and asserted that no one had asked him to leave the venue.

However, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ramesh contradicted the actor's account. He claimed that while Allu Arjun was watching the film, his team had been informed about the death and the worsening situation, but they prevented police from meeting the actor. ACP Ramesh revealed that the first person to learn of the tragedy was Allu Arjun’s manager, Santosh, but despite knowing of the developing situation, the team did not allow police to speak directly with the actor.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also weighed in, alleging that Allu Arjun attended the premiere without police permission. He claimed that the police had initially denied security arrangements due to concerns over crowd control, with the theatre having only one entry and exit point. According to Reddy, the actor's refusal to leave the cinema hall forced police to intervene and escort him out.

Allu Arjun has denied the accusations, insisting that the police had cleared his path and directed him to the venue.

Meanwhile, the actor’s house was vandalized by a group claiming to represent the Osmania University Joint Action Committee. The protesters threw tomatoes and smashed flower pots, demanding justice for the woman who died in the stampede, and called for a compensation of Rs 1 crore. Allu Arjun was not home at the time, and he has yet to respond to the incident.

The issue has sparked a political debate, with opposition parties BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing the ruling Congress government of targeting Allu Arjun. BJP leader Amit Malviya condemned the actions, calling them "state-sponsored terrorism," and alleged the actor was being punished for refusing to campaign for Congress. Similarly, BRS leader KT Rama Rao expressed sympathy for the victims but criticized the government's treatment of the actor, describing it as unnecessary and unjust.