Wed Oct 02 22:56:16 UTC 2024: ## Telangana Minister Sparks Outrage with Controversial Remarks Linking KTR to Samantha-Chaitanya Divorce

**Hyderabad:** A major political controversy has erupted in Telangana after Minister Konda Surekha made inflammatory allegations linking Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao to the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Surekha, a Congress leader, claimed that KTR, who was a minister at the time, used phone tapping and blackmail to manipulate actresses, including Samantha. She alleged that KTR drove Samantha to drug addiction and ultimately orchestrated her divorce from Chaitanya.

These remarks have sparked widespread condemnation, with prominent figures like superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni, Chaitanya’s father, issuing a strong rebuke.

“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,” Nagarjuna wrote on X. He further called the allegations against his family “completely irrelevant and false,” demanding Surekha retract her comments.

Samantha herself took to Instagram to express her outrage at the personal attack on her life.

BRS leaders have also condemned Surekha’s statements, with party leader Harish Rao demanding an unconditional apology.

“I condemn the derogatory statements made by Minister Konda Surekha Garu and demand an unconditional apology,” Rao stated on X.

BRS MLC and former Minister Satyavathi Rathod also condemned Surekha’s comments, stating that they are “saddening the families of all actresses in the cinema industry.” She warned Surekha to stop defaming others and hinted at legal action for defamation.

The controversy has taken on a gendered dimension with Rathod emphasizing that as a woman minister, Surekha should be supporting other women instead of making such damaging comments.

The incident has ignited a political storm in Telangana, with the BRS likely to use this opportunity to further criticize the Congress.

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