SC/ST Complaint Filed Against Vijay Deverakonda by Lawyers

A formal complaint has been submitted by the Tribal Lawyers Association against Telugu film actor Vijay Deverakonda, citing derogatory remarks made at a public film event that allegedly demeaned Scheduled Tribes.

The controversy stems from Deverakonda’s speech during the Retro movie pre-release event organized by Maa TV Films on April 26 in Hyderabad. Addressing a large audience alongside Tamil actor Suriya, Deverakonda stated: "These are the mindless things Pakistanis do that tribals did 500 years ago."

This statement, delivered on stage and circulated online shortly after, has drawn sharp criticism from tribal rights groups and activists.

The Tribal Lawyers Association, led by President Kishan Raj Chauhan, has lodged a written complaint at Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar Police Station, demanding registration of a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Chauhan alleged that the remarks were not only insensitive but amounted to public humiliation of tribal identities.

The association argues that the comment was made in the presence of mainstream electronic and print media, and that it was streamed widely online. A video titled "Vijay Deverakonda Commanding Speech About Pakistan Terrorist at Retro Event / Surya / Sahithi TV” was uploaded to the Maa TV Films YouTube channel, which has over 165,000 subscribers. As of April 30, the video had received more than 34,000 views and 824 likes. Screenshots, links, and broadcast evidence have been submitted as part of the complaint.

“This is not just a matter of free speech—it’s about respect and constitutional protection of marginalized communities,” said Chauhan. “We demand immediate legal action against the actor under SC/ST atrocity laws.”