- The controversy surrounding Allu Arjun and brand strategist Kaveri Baruah took a fresh turn
- Podcaster Sweekriti shared a series of Instagram posts alleging harassment
- On Tuesday evening, she announced that she had taken down the episode featuring Kaveri
“I've removed the video after my guest faced coordinated harassment from PR machinery and bot accounts,” Sweekriti wrote on her Instagram stories. She claimed the trolling felt organised and intense. The episode was removed from both Instagram and YouTube soon after.
Sweekriti also said Kaveri Baruah works in a respected organisation, and she did not want the controversy to harm her career. “She holds a responsible position in a reputed organisation, and I refuse to let her career be jeopardised due to online bullying. The discussion was factual and professional, not defamatory. But protecting a real person will always take priority over engaging with power that refuses accountability. Allu Arjun & his team are sheer losers, & just power hungry,” she added.
In another note, Sweekriti alleged that she too was being targeted online. “Women can't live in peace & make content on the internet!! Shocking Allu Arjun PR attacking me. Well abusing me saying negative things about me can never pull me down. Keep goings bots.”
About The Controversy
The controversy began after a clip from the podcast went viral earlier this week. In the video, Kaveri Baruah spoke about an alleged past meeting with Allu Arjun and his team. She claimed she was given a list of 42 dos and don'ts before interacting with the actor. These rules reportedly included not making eye contact and not shaking his hand.
On the podcast, Kaveri said, “My another interesting encounter was with Allu Arjun, the mega star of Hyderabad. South stars comes with entourage. Before meeting him, we had a note which had 42 dos and don'ts. And they have manager ka manager ka manager. They are very strict, like ‘don't look into sir's eyes, don't shake your hands'.”
After the clip spread widely, Allu Arjun denied the allegations. His team released a statement that read, "Certain recent comments made about Mr. Allu Arjun are completely baseless and untrue. He has always conducted himself with the utmost dignity and honour. We take these false allegations seriously. Our legal team is initiating defamation proceedings against those responsible. We request everyone to refrain from spreading unverified information."
At present, the full episode is private. Kaveri has reportedly deactivated her Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
ALSO READ: Team Allu Arjun Slams Podcast For List Of '42 Dos And Don'ts' Before Meeting Actor