Telangana minister Konda Surekha continues to draw the ire of the Telugu film industry for her recent remark on Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s divorce from Naga Chaitanya. HanuMan actor Teja Sajja released a strongly worded statement, reminding the minister how crucial actors are to society. 

Teja released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that while lakhs of votes might have made her the people’s representative, actors earn the trust of millions of people to be in their position. He wrote, “While 3L votes may make you People’s Representative, earning the trust of 100 million is what it takes to be an actor. It is entirely unacceptable to demean anyone, especially women, in such a manner.”

He also added that it’s ‘disheartening’ to see her ‘shallow opinion’ on actors, writing, “It’s disheartening that you have such a shallow opinion on us actors. As actors, we are at the forefront of societal contributions—be it through donations, social services, or taxes. Despite our significant efforts, we are the ones unfairly targeted for attention.”

He ended the note condemning the ‘exploitation of personal lives for political gain’, urging that such discussions be ‘kept out of political discourse’. He also used the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate.

For the unversed, Teja Sajja worked as a child actor for years but debuted as an adult with Samantha-starrer Oh! Baby.

Celebrities come out in support

Ravi Teja also released a statement on X, calling it ‘demonic tactics’ to target actors. He wrote, “I’m appalled by a woman minister resorting to demonic tactics, fabricating vile allegations against the respectful ones in the name of political warfare. This is beyond shameful. No one should drag innocent individuals, especially women, into their political rivalries. Leaders should set a positive example and enhance societal values, not diminish them. #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate.”

Vishwak Sen wrote that people must remember that ‘actors are humans too’ and that they ‘deserve respect’. About Samantha, he added, “She is a superstar, and she earned it with courage. She will remain strong, but not everyone is as resilient. Depression is often caused by how we treat one another, not by choice. So before commenting, think about the impact your words might have. If we can’t make someone smile, let’s at least not be the reason for their tears. #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate.”

What happened

Surekha alleged on Wednesday that BRS party leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) used to tap the phones of female actors and blackmail them. She also alleged that Samantha divorced Naga Chaitanya because of him. After receiving backlash, she clarified on X that her intention was to point out how KTR allegedly demeans women and not to malign Samantha’s image.

Her statement comes after Samantha, Chaitanya, Nagarjuna, Amala Akkineni, Akhil Akkineni, Jr NTR, Nani, Khushbu Sundar, Chiranjeevi, Allu Arjun, Sudheer Babu, Lakshmi Manchu and others called her out on social media. 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.

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