Compensation disparity in film-related tragedies sparks controversy

Rajahmundry – Andhra Pradesh: The Rashtriya Praja Congress (RPC) Founding President, Meda Srinivas, has strongly criticized film producer Dil Raju and the Andhra Pradesh government over the alleged unequal compensation provided to victims of two separate film-related incidents in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Srinivas demanded fair treatment and justice for the families of the victims.

Stampede tragedy in hyderabad: Telangana incident

The tragic incident occurred at Sandhya Theater in Hyderabad during a fan gathering for Allu Arjun’s film Pushpa. Revathi, a mother, lost her life in the stampede, leaving her son Teja critically injured. In response, producer Dil Raju and the Pushpa team announced a compensation package of Rs 2 crores, along with a job for Revathi’s husband and medical expenses for Teja.

Game Changer event mishap: Andhra Pradesh incident

During the pre-event function of Ram Charan’s film Game Changer in Vemagiri, Rajahmundry, a stampede resulted in the deaths of two youths. Despite official promotion by Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister, minister, and public representatives, the victims’ families were offered Rs 10 lakhs collectively—a stark contrast to the Telangana incident.

Criticism of compensation inequality

Meda Srinivas questioned Dil Raju’s inconsistency in compensation practices, accusing him of favouritism towards Allu Arjun’s family while adopting a lenient stance towards the Mega family. He also criticized the government’s involvement, pointing out that this was the first instance of state-supported promotion for a private film event, which ultimately ended in tragedy.

Demand for equal justice

Srinivas called on Dil Raju, the Game Changer film unit, and the Andhra Pradesh government to provide Rs 2 crores each to the families of the victims from the Rajahmundry incident, along with job opportunities for their family members. He emphasized that justice should be equal and transparent, regardless of the parties involved.

Call for accountability

Highlighting the disparity, Srinivas urged for an unbiased approach to compensating victims of film-related incidents. He questioned the moral standing of Dil Raju and demanded accountability from all stakeholders, including the Chandrababu Naidu coalition government.