Telangana lawmaker Konda Surekha’s comment on Samantha-Chaitanya divorce sparks massive backlash from actors, politicians; minister tenders apology

Telangana Minister of Environment and Forests Konda Surekha’s recent comments on Bharat Raksha Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) and actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya have ignited a firestorm, drawing sharp reactions from political leaders and members of the film fraternity. The minister has since apologised and retracted her comment.

The controversy began after a viral video surfaced of Konda Surekha accusing KTR of interfering in the personal lives of celebrities and being involved in drug-related controversies. Konda Surekha (58) is a member of the Indian National Congress and represents Warangal East constituency in Telangana Legislative Assembly. Born on August 19, 1965, in Warangal, Konda Surekha was elected as MLA in 1999 in the state assembly of the undivided Andhra Pradesh state.

“KTR asked to send Samantha in return for not demolishing the N-convention center. Nagarjuna forced Samantha to go to KTR. Samantha said NO. That led to divorce.” Konda Surekha, Telangana minister. https://t.co/YbIh5Cq3Oj pic.twitter.com/Ik3l2x1cQQ

— 🅺🅳🆁 (@KDRtweets) October 2, 2024

In the video, the minister specifically linked KTR to the divorce of actors Samantha Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya — who were married from 2017 to 2021 — alleging that KTR was responsible for their separation and had used his influence to manipulate events. “Naga Chaitanya’s divorce took place 100 percent due to KTR,” Surekha alleged. She further claimed that actors were pressured and linked to drug cases, with references to other celebrities like Rakul Preet, suggesting that they were coerced into early marriages to avoid scrutiny.

Reactions from celebs

Several Tollywood celebs, including Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, Nani, Jr NTR, Khushbu Sundar and others, have rallied in support of Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, hours after Telangana minister Konda Surekha’s distasteful remark on their divorce.

Samantha herself slammed the minister and requested her to keep her out of the political battles, while Chaitanya called the comment “shameful”.

Nagarjuna, father of Naga Chaitanya, stated, “I strongly condemn the comments of the Minister, Konda Surekha. Don’t use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people’s privacy. As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately.”

గౌరవనీయ మంత్రివర్యులు శ్రీమతి కొండా సురేఖ గారి వ్యాఖ్యలని తీవ్రంగా ఖండిస్తున్నాను. రాజకీయాలకు దూరంగా ఉండే సినీ ప్రముఖుల జీవితాలని, మీ ప్రత్యర్ధులని విమర్శించేందుకు వాడుకోకండి. దయచేసి సాటి మనుషుల వ్యక్తిగత విషయాలని గౌరవించండి. బాధ్యత గలిగిన పదవి లో ఉన్న మహిళగా మీరు చేసిన…

— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) October 2, 2024

Criticising the minister’s comment, Tollywood star Allu Arjun took to his X handle on Thursday morning and wrote, “I strongly condemn the baseless derogatory comments made about film personalities and film families. This behaviour is deeply disrespectful and goes against the values of our Telugu culture. Such irresponsible actions should not be accepted as normal. I urge the parties involved to act more responsibly and respect individual privacy, especially towards women. We must promote respect and dignity in social as a whole.”

Jr NTR called Surekha out for hitting a new low with her remark. “Public figures, especially those in responsible positions like you, must maintain dignity and respect for privacy. It’s disheartening to see baseless statements thrown around carelessly, especially about the film industry. We will not sit quietly while others make baseless allegations against us. We should rise above this and maintain respect for each other’s boundaries,” he stated.

Actor Nani called the entire controversy “disgusting” and wrote on X, “Disgusting to see politicians thinking that they can get away talking any kind of nonsense. When your words can be so irresponsible it’s stupid of us to expect that you will have any responsibility for your people. It’s not just about actors or cinema. This is not abt any political party. It is not okay for someone in such a respectable position to talk such utter baseless rubbish infront of media and think that it is okay (sic).”

Actor-politician Khusbu Sundar said: “I thought it was only those who need 2 minute fame and indulge in yellow journalism speak this language. But here, I see an absolute disgrace to womanhood. Konda Surekha garu, I am sure some values were instilled in you. Where have they flown out of the window? A person in a responsible position cannot make such baseless, appalling and degrading statements about my industry, my place of worship.”

I am extremely pained to see the disgraceful remarks made by an honourable woman minister.

It is a shame that celebs and members of film fraternity become soft targets as they provide instant reach and attention. We as Film Industry stand united in opposing such vicious verbal…

— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) October 3, 2024

Reactions from politicians

KTR has since sent a legal notice to Konda Surekha, demanding that she retract her statement and apologise, failing which he would pursue legal action against her.

He labelled her comments “baseless and malicious,” accusing her of attempting to tarnish his reputation with unsubstantiated claims.

మూసి మురికి అంతా వాళ్ల నోట్లోనే…

ఇంకా శుద్ధి ఎందుకు.. లక్షన్నర కోట్లు ఖర్చు ఎందుకు?

Served legal notices to the Minister; Disgusting & Nauseating politics by Congress

Request @RahulGandhi to send your Minister & CM to a mental health specialist or a rehabilitation… pic.twitter.com/cL8AI1RqHk

— KTR (@KTRBRS) October 2, 2024

Union Minister and Telangana BJP chief G Kishan Reddy lashed out at the ruling party, calling Konda Surekha’s remarks inappropriate. “KCR has planted a poisonous fruit in the society of Telangana. Revanth Reddy is nurturing it. A Telangana minister commented on the family of a cinema actor; this is wrong. It is not right to say that,” Reddy stated.

He further criticised the declining standards of political discourse in the state, urging the people and the media to boycott leaders using such language.

BRS spokesperson Dasoju Sravan also responded, calling on the Congress party to sack Konda Surekha from her ministerial post. “If Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge truly believe in humanity and decency in politics, she must be removed from her ministerial role in the Telangana government,” Sravan said.

Konda Surekha tenders apology

Following the backlash, Konda Surekha issued an apology, stating that her remarks were not intended to demean Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s family. She clarified that her comments were aimed at questioning KTR’s treatment of women and not at hurting anyone’s sentiments.

“My comments are meant to question a leader’s belittling of women and not to hurt your @Samanthaprabhu2 sentiments. The way you have grown up with self-power is not only an admiration for me.. but also an ideal..” she said in a series of tweets.

నా వ్యాఖ్యల పట్ల మీరు కానీ, మీ అభిమానులు కానీ మనస్తాపానికి గురైనట్లైతే బేషరతుగా నా వ్యాఖ్యలను పూర్తిగా ఉపసంహరించుకుంటున్నాను, అన్యద భావించవద్దు.@Samanthaprabhu2 @iamnagarjuna @chay_akkineni@TV9Telugu @V6News

— Konda Surekha (@IKondaSurekha) October 3, 2024

“If you or your fans are offended by my comments, I unconditionally retract my comments..Don’t think otherwise,” the minister added.

(The article is published under a mutual content partnership arrangement betweenThe Free Press JournalandConnected to India)