Telugu cinema icon Nagarjuna Akkineni, father of actor Naga Chaitanya, has lodged a complaint against Telangana Environment Minister Konda Surekha over her "defamatory and derogatory" remarks regarding the breakup of his son's marriage to actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
On Wednesday, Konda Surekha ignited controversy by alleging that KT Rama Rao of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi orchestrated the divorce by luring Samantha into drug use and subsequently blackmailing her. "It is KT Rama Rao who is responsible for Samantha's divorce... He was a minister who tapped actresses' phones to exploit their vulnerabilities and make them drug addicts. Everyone knows this," she claimed.
In his complaint filed in Hyderabad's Nampally district, Nagarjuna stated that Konda was "fully aware" her statements were false and had "deliberately spread these allegations" to damage his family's reputation. The complaint emphasized that her comments were made with malicious intent, aiming to mislead the public for political gain, and constituted a criminal offense.
This marks the second legal notice served to Konda Surekha on this issue. KT Rama Rao has also sent a defamation notice to her, condemning her comments as "disgusting and nauseating politics" and calling for accountability from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Reactions from Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Prabhu
The minister's comments have sparked significant backlash. Naga Chaitanya characterized his divorce as a "painful and unfortunate life decision," affirming it was a mutual decision made peacefully due to differing life goals. He criticized Konda's claims as "baseless and ridiculous," stating that exploiting personal matters for media attention is shameful.
Samantha Prabhu also responded sharply, asserting that her divorce is a private matter and urging Konda to keep her name out of political disputes. She expressed a desire to remain non-political.
Both actors received support from their colleagues in the film industry.
Konda Surekha's "Unconditional" Apology
Facing mounting criticism, Konda Surekha offered an "unconditional" apology to Naga Chaitanya and Samantha but stood firm in her accusations against KT Rama Rao, demanding an apology from him as well. She described her comments as an unintended slip and expressed regret upon seeing their reactions.
Konda later emphasized that her remarks were aimed at addressing a leader's disrespect towards women and expressed admiration for Samantha's strength.
Response from Political Figures
While neither Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao nor senior Congress leaders have commented, Konda’s Cabinet colleague, IT Minister Sridhar Babu, noted that the party's state unit leader, Mahesh Kumar Goud, had intervened and acknowledged Konda’s apology. He stressed that political scores should not be settled at the expense of others.
Goud expressed his dismay at the comments, emphasizing the need for respect and dignity towards women, stating, "As the father of a daughter, husband to a wife, and son to a mother, I am deeply anguished by the unacceptable remarks made by a woman minister against another woman." He strongly condemned the derogatory comments and reiterated the importance of treating women in the film industry with utmost respect.
