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Who is Konda Surekha? Minister who commented on Naga Chaitanya and Samantha’s divorce; Check Tollywood reactions, Movie Artists Association's statement and more
Here’s everything you need to know about the ongoing controversy including Telangana Minister Konda Surekha, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya.
Telangana Minister Konda Surekha sparked controversy with her defamatory remarks about Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya’s divorce. According to a report by Deccan Herald, the politician alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) was the reason behind the former couple's divorce. Soon after, Surekha's controversial comments met with sharp criticism from various quarters.
Who is Konda Surekha and what was the statement?
Konda Surekha is an Indian politician who serves as the Cabinet Minister for Forest and Environment, and Endowments under the Telangana Government.
During a media interaction, the minister claimed that BRS leader KTR ruined the lives of multiple actresses in Telugu cinema. Talking about the Kushi actress and Naga Chaitanya's divorce, Konda Surekha alleged, "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."
The politician went on to say, "KTR is the reason behind Samantha-Naga Chaitanya's divorce. Many heroines got married early because of him."
How did the Akkineni family respond to the controversy?
Nagarjuna expressed his disappointment with Telangana Minister Konda Surekha and criticized her actions. He took to his X handle and wrote, "I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. 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."
The Kubera actor concluded his statement by requesting the politician to withdraw her comments and refrain from making such "false" accusations.
Check out this post below:
Naga Chaitanya was taken aback by Telangana Minister’s comment on his divorce from Samantha. He penned a long note clarifying that they decided to part ways owing to their different life goals. The Thandel actor wrote, "The decision of divorce is easily one of the most painful and unfortunate life decisions one has to make. After a lot of thought, a mutual decision was made by me and my former spouse to part ways. It was a decision made in peace, owing to our different life goals and in the interest of moving forward with respect and dignity as two mature adults."
Naga Chaitanya concluded his message by calling Surekha's allegations ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unacceptable’.
Check out his full statement below:
Nagarjuna's wife Amala and son Akhil Akkineni also came forward to extend support for their family and condemn the politician's actions. Amala accused Surekha of making "scandalous stories" about her husband without knowing the truth. She also slammed the minister for behaving like "criminals."
Akhil supported his mother's statement and added, "I’m sorry that you have to address this demonic nonsense, but we have no choice sometimes but to deal with such sociopaths."
Take a look at their posts below:
Samantha Ruth Prabhu takes a stand for herself
Samantha Ruth Prabhu called out Surekha for dragging her name in such political battles. The Citadel actress took to her Instagram stories to issue a long statement amid the ongoing controversy. Samantha wrote, "I hope you realize that your words carry significant weight as a minister. I implore you to be responsible and respectful of individuals' privacy. 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."
She went on to say that her divorce was of mutual consent and had nothing to do with any political matter. For the unversed, Samantha and Naga Chaitanya got divorced back in 2021, four years after their marriage in 2017.
Check out her statement below:
Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun and other celebrities condemn Surekha's actions
Several A-listers from Telugu cinema united to support Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu amidst the ongoing controversy. They slammed Surekha's controversial comments on the former couple and urged her not to drag their names into her political feuds.
Actors including Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Nani, Varun Tej Konidela and several others lashed out at the politician via their social media handles. Movie Artists Association (MAA) President Vishnu Manchu also issued a long note on behalf of the committee.
Check out all the posts below:
KTR issues legal notice against Surekha
BRS leader KTR sent a legal notice to Surekha for making such serious allegations against him to tarnish his reputation. He demanded she withdraw the statements she made in public and issue an apology within 24 hours. KTR further asked Surekha to oblige to avoid any lawsuit against her.
Check out the post below:
Surekha retracts her statement on Samantha
Surekha took to her social media handle X and wrote that she never wanted to hurt anyone's sentiments. The politician went on to say that she has withdrawn her comment on Samantha after receiving backlash from various quarters.
Surekha wrote, "If you or your fans are offended by my comments, I unconditionally retract my comments... Don't think otherwise."
Take a look at her statement below:
According to a report by Telangana Today, Surekha has not yet withdrawn her remarks on KTR.
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