A complaint was registered recently against Vijay Deverakonda for derogatory reference to the Tribal community during his speech at a recent public event. The actor has now issued an official statement, giving clarification on the same.

Taking to his X page, the Arjun Reddy actor said, “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 further wrote about how he used the word in a more literal sense, referring to historical times when society was divided into tribes and clans. “It was never a reference to the Scheduled Tribes classification, which was introduced during colonial and post-colonial India and formalised only in the mid-20th century — not even 100 years ago,” he added.

Vijay concluded his statement by expressing his regret, adding, “If any part of my message was misunderstood or hurtful, I express my sincere regret. My only aim was to speak of peace, progress, and togetherness. I remain committed to using my platform to uplift and unify - never to divide.”

Vijay Deverakonda will soon be seen in Gowtam Tinnanuri’s Kingdom. The first single of the film was released yesterday.