Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda booked under SC/ST Act for derogatory remarks against tribals-OxBig News Network

Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda has been booked under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Raidurgam police for allegedly making derogatory remarks against tribal communities during a public event.

The case was booked following a complaint filed by Nenavath Ashok Kumar Naik, State President of the Joint Action Committee of Tribal Communities, citing the comments made by the actor on April 26, 2025, during the pre-release event of the film Retro.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), seen by The Hindu, the actor allegedly referred to tribal people as lacking intelligence and common sense and likened them to Pakistani terrorists. “He insulted their tribal community by saying that they had beaten them 500 years ago without any intelligence and minimum common sense. Moreover, he made comments comparing them to Pakistani terrorists,” the complainant said.

Attaching the YouTube link in the written complaint, Mr. Naik stated that these comments were not only offensive but deeply insulting to the dignity and self-respect of the tribal community. He said that the content was shared across multiple media channels, including YouTube via Sithara Entertainment’s channel, drawing widespread criticism.

Investigation is under way.

Meanwhile, earlier in May, the SR Nagar police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Vijay, claiming his comments were deeply offensive and amounted to demeaning the tribal population. Shortly later, the actor released a statement on his X account, clarifying that “there was no intention to hurt or target any community, especially our Scheduled Tribes, who I deeply respect and consider an integral part of our country.”

“I was speaking about unity – about how India is one, our people are one, and how we must move forward together. In what world would I, while urging us to stand as a country, deliberately discriminate against any group of Indians – all of whom I see as my family, like my brothers,” the actor’s statement read.