(Image source from: Twitter.com/Bmaheshgoud6666)
The Telangana Minister Konda Surekha apologized to the actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu and their families for her controversial comments about their divorce. However, she did not retract her allegations against BRS leader KT Rama Rao. Surekha claimed that Rao, who was a former minister, had tapped the phones of actresses and blackmailed them. She alleged that Rao's actions led to the divorce of Samantha and Naga Chaitanya. Surekha stated that Rao made the actresses drug addicts and then exploited their weaknesses. She insisted that Rao must apologize for his actions. Samantha and Naga Chaitanya are top actors in the Telugu film industry, and Naga Chaitanya belongs to the influential Akkineni family.
The minister's statements are strongly condemned. Utilizing the personal lives of famous individuals who avoid political involvement to criticize opponents is unacceptable. Respect for others' privacy should be maintained. As a woman in a leadership role, the comments and accusations made against the family are entirely irrelevant and untrue. A request is made for the immediate withdrawal of these comments.
— chaitanya akkineni (@chay_akkineni) October 2, 2024
Naga Chaitanya and Samanth Ruth Prabhu also responded for the statements made by Konda Surekha. Naga Chaitanya posted saying "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. However, there have been various baseless and completely ridiculous gossips on the matter so far. I have remained silent all this while out of deep respect for my earlier spouse as well as my family. Today, the claim made by Minister Konda surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful,".
Statement from our @Samanthaprabhu2 #Samantha #SamanthaRuthPrabhu pic.twitter.com/r88BlVGrGr
— Samantha Fans (@SamanthaPrabuFC) October 2, 2024
"Konda Surekha Garu, I am proud of what this journey turned me into please don't trivialise it. I hope you realise 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 said in a social media post. "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" posted Samantha.