Telangana minister Konda Surekha has retracted a recent controversial statement she made on Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya's divorce. The politician 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. 

Konda Surekha retracts statement

Surekha posted on X (formerly Twitter), retracting her statement about Samantha. She wrote 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.”

State Congress minister Surekha initially said former Telangana chief minister Chandrasekara Rao's son KTR was the key reason for divorce between Samantha and Chaitanya. "KTR was the reason behind the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha…," the minister said, claiming that the BRS is targeting and harassing other female leaders in Telangana. She also alleged that KTR was the reason why many female actors quit the Telugu film industry early and marry in their careers.

According to ANI, KTR sent a defamation notice to Surekha. In the legal notice, KTR stated that Surekha made the comments to "tarnish" his image, and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the statements made.

Akkineni family calls out Konda Surekha

In a long note shared on her Instagram Stories, Samantha called out Surekha and stated that her divorce was via mutual consent. "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," she wrote.

Chaitanya also released a statement, a portion of which read, “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.”

His father Nagarjuna also slammed Surekha’s statement and wrote on X, “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. As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately.”

His brother Akhil went as far as calling Surekha a ‘sociopath’. He re-shared his mother Amala's statement on X, writing, “My dear mother I support every word you have said and I am With you and the family..I’m sorry that you have to address this demonic nonsense but we have no choice sometimes but to deal with such sociopaths.”

Several other celebrities like Jr NTR, Nani, Khushbu Sundar, and others have also condemned Surekha’s comment.

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