Congress' Konda Surekha says this after facing backlash for remark on Samantha-Naga Chaitanya's divorce: 'Don't think..'

Written By Riya Sharma | Updated: Oct 03, 2024, 10:14 AM IST

Konda Surekha's statement on Samantha Ruth Prabhu-Naga Chaitanya's divorce

Telangana Minister Konda Surekha retracted her statement on Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu's divorce after facing backlash.

Recently Telangana Minister Konda Surekha's remark on Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya's divorce sparked backlash from the South film industry. From Nani to Jr NTR, actors criticised her remark and asked her to retract her statement. Now, the Congress leader has finally reacted to the same.

On Wednesday, Telangana Minister Konda Surekha sparked a row and received flak from actors and politicians alike when she alleged that Bharat Raksha Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) was behind the actor couple’s divorce. Surekha has now retracted her statement and posted on X (formerly Twitter) in Telugu, “My intention was only to point out how a leader is belittling towards woman but not to hurt your sentiments, Samantha. The way you have grown exponentially by yourself is something I admire and aspire to. If you or your fans have been hurt by my words, I unconditionally retract them. Please do not take it otherwise.”

Surekha initially said that KTR is the reason behind Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya's divorce and alleged that he is the reason why actresses in Telugu cinema leave the film industry early in their careers. She said, "Speaking to the media, Surekha said, “It is KT Rama Rao because of whom (actress) Samantha’s divorce happened…He was a minister at that time and used to tap the phones of the actresses and then find their weaknesses to blackmail them…He used to make them drug addicts and then do this…Everyone knows this, Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his family, everybody is aware that such a thing happened.”

Samantha Ruth Prabhu later hit back at her statement and said that her divorce was mutual. The actress' statement read, "To be a woman, to come out and work, to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props, to fall in love & to fall out of love, to still stand up and fight. It takes a lot of courage and strength. 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. To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so." 

Naga Chaitanya Amala Akkineni and Nagarjuna also slammed the politician for her remark and called her statement 'ridiculous and unacceptable' and demanded she retract her statement. Meanwhile, according to ANI, KTR sent a defamation notice to Surekha. In the legal notice, he stated that Surekha made the comments to "tarnish" his image. 

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