South Actor Vijay Deverakonda, expressed regret over his recent remark over his Controversial Remark About Tribal Community. Actor 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. Actor has expressed 'sincere regret' and clarified that he did not intend to hurt or target any community.
Vijay posted on his official account "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."
The actor clarified that his use of "tribe" referred to historical societal structures, not the modern Indian Scheduled Tribes classification. He regretted any misunderstanding and reaffirmed his commitment to unity. This followed accusations by Tribal Lawyers Association President Kishanraj Chauhan of disrespect towards tribals and a formal complaint filed demanding legal action under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Tribal associations are demanding an apology, arguing it's a matter of respect and constitutional protection for marginalized communities.
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.