Hyderabad: Tollywood actor Vijay Deverakonda has landed in legal trouble after making a comment that upset tribal communities. A case has been filed against him under the SC/ST Atrocities Act for a statement he made during the pre-release event of the Tamil movie Retro held on April 26 in Hyderabad.
What Did Vijay Say?
At the event, Vijay spoke about the Pulwama terror attack and the tensions between India and Pakistan. He said, “India doesn’t need to attack Pakistan. Their people will get tired and turn against their own government. Just like how tribes fought 500 years ago without common sense, people today are also fighting mindlessly.”
#PahelgamTerroristattack | Vijay Devarakonda: "Kashmir is India, Kashmiris are ours""The incident in Pahalgam is very sad. We cannot share your pain, but we feel it. We stand with the victims," said actor Vijay Devarakonda at the pre-release event of #Retro in Hyderabad.He… pic.twitter.com/dZfJD1KCBP— Deccan Chronicle (@DeccanChronicle) April 26, 2025
This statement led to protests. Many tribal leaders felt he compared tribal people to terrorists, which deeply hurt their sentiments.
Case Registered Under SC/ST Act
Tribal leader Ashok Kumar Rathod filed a complaint at the Raidurgam Police Station. Following this, police filed an FIR against Vijay under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. This is the second case against him under this law, with a previous one filed at Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar police station.
Vijay’s Clarification
Vijay responded to the controversy, saying he did use the word “tribes” but meant ancient groups who often fought among themselves. He said, “I didn’t mean today’s Scheduled Tribes. If anyone felt hurt, I am truly sorry.”
To my dear brothers ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QBGQGOjJBL— Vijay Deverakonda (@TheDeverakonda) May 3, 2025
Despite his apology, protests and complaints continue. Fans are surprised by the turn of events, especially as Vijay is busy promoting his upcoming film Kingdom, set to release in late July.
Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.
