- Telangana MLA J Anirudh Reddy demands mandatory drug tests for film actors every 90 days
- He suggests top stars submit clean reports before their movies are released
- Reddy cites actors' influence on youth as reason for regular hair follicle tests
Telangana Congress MLA J Anirudh Reddy has demanded mandatory drug tests for film actors, saying that movies of top stars should not be released unless they submit clean reports.
Speaking in Hyderabad, the MLA from Jadcherla Constituency said actors such as Chiranjeevi, Nandamuri Balakrishna and Pawan Kalyan should undergo drug tests every 90 days owing to their influence on young people.
"The public says that the highest drug activity happens in the film industry. I'm not saying it, it's what the public talks about. I don't know if it is a rumour or the truth," Reddy said.
"A urine test only covers 14 days. A hair follicle test should be done every 90 days. If actors get tested and show they are clean, fans will think, 'My hero is not using drugs, so we should not use them either'," he said.
The Congress MLA said that film stars have greater influence over the public than politicians. "If Pawan Kalyan wears six-pocket pants, everyone buys them. If Chiranjeevi does a dance step, everyone copies it. The public listens more to them than to us," he said.
He further said, "If actors do not undergo the test, it suggests they are using drugs. Their movies should not be released unless they submit the report."
Reddy said he himself had undergone a drug test and made the report public to set an example. "I don't take drugs, but I got tested to show my constituency what kind of an MLA they elected," he said.
Reddy suggested that elected representatives should also undergo mandatory drug tests. "If public representatives do not take the tests, they should not be allowed into the Assembly," he said.
The comments have drawn criticism from sections of the film industry and social media users, who blamed the MLA for unfairly targeting cinema actors without evidence.
