Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda issued a clarification after a police complaint was filed against him for his derogatory comments about the tribal community during the pre-release event of the movie Retro on April 26 in Hyderabad. He expressed 'sincere regret' and clarified that he did not intend to hurt or target any community.
On Saturday, Vijay took to his X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "It has come to my attention that a remark I made during the Retro audio launch event has caused concern among some members of the public. I wish to sincerely clarify: there was absolutely no intention to hurt or target any community, especially our Scheduled Tribes, who I deeply respect and consider an integral part of our country."
Deverakonda stated that he was speaking about unity, emphasising how India is one, its people are one, and how everyone must move forward together. "In what world would I, while urging us to stand united as a country, deliberately discriminate against any group of Indians all of whom I see as my family, like my brothers," added the actor.
Check out Vijay Deverakonda's statement:
Further, the Arjun Reddy actor clarified that the word "tribe" he used was intended in the historical and dictionary sense, referring to a time centuries ago when human societies worldwide were organised into tribes and clans, often in conflict, and not in reference to the Scheduled Tribes classification, which was introduced during colonial and post-colonial India and formalized only in the mid-20th century—less than 100 years ago.
Expressing regret, Vijay shared that his aim was to speak of peace, progress, and togetherness, and if any part of his message was misunderstood or hurtful, he expressed his sincere regret.
"I remain committed to using my platform to uplift and unify never to divide," concluded the actor.
On Thursday, Tribal Lawyers Association Bapunagar President Kishanraj Chauhan accused Deverakonda of speaking disrespectfully towards the tribals at the event and a written complaint was lodged at Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar Police Station in Hyderabad, demanding registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The tribal associations have demanded an immediate apology from the actor. Chauhan said, "This is not just a matter of free speech—it’s about respect and constitutional protection of marginalized communities. We demand immediate legal action against the actor under SC/ST atrocity laws."
