Telugu cinema superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni, father of actor Naga Chaitanya, has lodged a complaint against Telangana Environment Minister Konda Surekha over her "defamatory and derogatory" remarks regarding his son’s divorce from actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
On Wednesday, Konda Surekha sparked controversy by accusing Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao of engineering Naga Chaitanya and Samantha’s separation. She claimed that Rao lured Samantha into drug addiction and later blackmailed her. "It was KT Rama Rao who caused Samantha's divorce... He was a minister at the time and tapped the phones of actresses to exploit their weaknesses... He turned them into drug addicts... Everyone knows this... it's no secret," she alleged.
In a complaint filed in Hyderabad's Nampally district, Nagarjuna Akkineni accused Congress leader Konda Surekha of deliberately spreading false allegations, fully aware of their untruth, with the sole aim of tarnishing his personal, professional, and family reputation.
"The statement was made with malicious intent, designed to convey falsehoods to the public at large, with the purpose of harming the complainant and his family's reputation for political gain and sensationalism," the complaint stated. It further emphasized that "these actions constitute a criminal offence."
This is the second legal notice Congress leader Konda Surekha has received regarding her remarks. KT Rama Rao, commonly known as KTR, has also issued a defamation notice, accusing her of engaging in "disgusting and nauseating politics" and calling for action from her party leader, Rahul Gandhi.
Konda Surekha's comments have sparked a significant controversy, as both Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya are prominent actors. Naga Chaitanya, a member of the influential Akkineni family in the Telugu film industry, and Samantha have both responded sharply to the politician's remarks.
Strongly reacting to the Minister's 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.
