HYDERABAD: Two days after breaking down over being trolled on social media, allegedly by people linked to the BRS, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha on Wednesday found herself embroiled in another controversy after linking pink party working president KT Rama Rao to the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Akkineni Naga Chaitanya. Her remarks, which included accusing Rama Rao of blackmailing and tapping the phones of Tollywood actors, invited sharp criticism from various quarters.
Strongly reacting to the remarks, Samantha asserted that her divorce was amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. “My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it. Our choice to keep things private doesn’t invite misrepresentation. Could you [Surekha] please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to do so,” she said.
“I hope you realise that your words carry significant weight as a minister,” the actor said.
Similarly, Chaitanya took to X to share that their divorce was a mutual decision considering the difference in their life goals. “However, there have been various baseless and completely ridiculous gossip on the matter so far. I have remained silent all this while out of deep respect for my earlier spouse as well as my family. Today, the claim made by Konda Surekha garu is not only false but also absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful,” he said in the post.
Chaitanya’s father, Nagarjuna, also criticised the remarks and urged the minister to withdraw them. “Do not use the lives of popular film personalities, who stay away from politics, to criticise your opponents. Please respect fellow citizens’ privacy. Your allegations against my family, being a responsible minister and woman, are completely irresponsible, and false,” he posted on X.
KTR sends legal notice, gives Surekha 24 hours to apologise
Meanwhile, Rama Rao took the legal route and sent a notice to the minister over her “baseless and defamatory statements”. In the notice, he condemned the allegations made by Surekha, including claims about phone tapping and comments linking him to the divorce of the actor couple. The Sircilla MLA demanded that the minister immediately retract her comments and issue a public apology.
The former minister also threatened to file a defamation suit if Surekha failed to tender an apology within 24 hours.
Harish condemns Konda’s statement, demands apology
Amala Akkineni joined her husband Nagarjuna in flaying the minister’s comments. “Shocked to hear a woman minister turn into a demon, conjuring evil fictions… preying on decent citizens as fuel for a political war. Madam minister, do you rely on and believe people with no decency to feed you utterly scandalous stories about my husband without an iota of shame or truth? Mr Rahul Gandhiji, if you believe in human decency, please restrain your politicians and make your minister retract her venomous statements with an apology to my family. Protect the citizens of this country,” Amala said in her post on X, tagging Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi.
Senior BRS leader and former minister T Harish Rao also condemned the statements made by the endowments minister and demanded an unconditional apology from her.
On Monday, a photograph of Medak MP M Raghunandan Rao from the BJP garlanding Surekha at an official function in Siddipet was given an indecent twist by trolls on social media.
Taking serious exception, Surekha alleged that the trolls were funded by BRS at the behest of Rama Rao and Harish. She also alleged that the BRS social media team attacked not just her, but her women colleagues in the party including Panchayat Raj Minister Dansari Anasuya and Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi.
Earlier on Wednesday, in response to the comments of Surekha over online trolling, Rama Rao said he was clueless as to why the former was crying. He said that none of his party members made comments against her.
“Didn’t the women in my family get hurt when Surekha levelled false and baseless accusations against me? Would they not cry just like her,” Rama Rao said, while responding to a query during an informal conversation with reporters at his party office.
Surekha’s explosive comments came later in the day, following the remarks of the BRS working president, after paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti at Gandhi Bhavan.