Konda Surekha draws flak over derogatory allegations against KTR
In a bid to target BRS leader KTR, the Congress Minister ended up making derogatory remarks against several actresses, drawing severe flak and triggering angry reactions from across the society
Hyderabad: Less than 24 hours after claiming to be a woman victim of the BRS social media trolling, Minister Konda Surekha came out with abusive, derogatory and baseless allegations against BRS working president KT Rama Rao, in the process dragging the personal lives of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya into public domain. In a bid to target Rama Rao, the Congress Minister ended up making derogatory remarks against several actresses, drawing severe flak and triggering angry reactions from across the society, including the film industry and the political sphere.
Speaking to mediapersons on Wednesday, the Minister had levelled multiple baseless and derogatory allegations, also hurling allegations against Akkineni Nagarjuna‘s family.
Responding to Surekha’s comments, BRS working president KT Rama Rao pointed out that she had made similar baseless allegations in the past as well. Making it clear that neither he nor the BRS had nothing to do with the comments against her on social media, he also asked the Minister to think how the women and children in his home would feel when a person like her made such allegations.
He also asked why Surekha and other Congress leaders remained silent when Congress workers were abusing BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao with filthy language. He suggested that Ministers Surekha and Seethakka should also restrain Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for his abusive and unparliamentary language against the BRS president and other opposition leaders.
Meanwhile, Surekha’s comments triggered a severe backlash against her, with several senior BRS leaders including former Ministers T Harish Rao, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Satyavathi Rathod, condemning her remarks. They called her outburst offensive and unwarranted. Harish Rao, while condemning the derogatory statements, demanded an unconditional apology from Surekha.
In a statement, Sabitha Indra Reddy criticised Surekha for making personal accusations and urged political leaders to maintain decorum. “It is objectionable to target someone personally, especially their family. Political leaders should focus on public issues and set an example for society,” she stated, reminding that Rama Rao’s mother, wife, sister and daughter too may have been deeply hurt by the Minister’s remarks.
Satyavathi Rathod also found fault with Surekha, pointing out that she was ignoring critical issues like violence against women in Telangana, while making inflammatory comments against women in the film industry. She warned of defamation suits if such remarks continued. “Rather than speaking about issues plaguing women in the State and challenges faced by women in film industry, it is a shame that a Minister is making such degrading remarks,” she said.
Former MP Maloth Kavitha said that as a woman she was ashamed after learning about Surekha’s “shameless” comments. She stated that Surekha forgot her status as a Minister and that making such derogatory remarks, had hurt not just Rama Rao, but also his family members and the actresses she named.
BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar termed Surekha’s remarks evidence of the poor culture in the Congress party. He demanded an immediate apology and threatened legal action if the comments were not retracted. He also accused the Congress of trying to divert attention with such baseless allegations from the ongoing demolition of houses under the Musi River beautification project.
On the other hand, actor Nagarjuna strongly condemned the derogatory comments made by Surekha and urged her to respect other people’s private lives.
“Film stars stay away from politics. Please don’t drag us to criticise your opponents. 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,” he said.
గౌరవనీయ మంత్రివర్యులు శ్రీమతి కొండా సురేఖ గారి వ్యాఖ్యలని తీవ్రంగా ఖండిస్తున్నాను. రాజకీయాలకు దూరంగా ఉండే సినీ ప్రముఖుల జీవితాలని, మీ ప్రత్యర్ధులని విమర్శించేందుకు వాడుకోకండి. దయచేసి సాటి మనుషుల వ్యక్తిగత విషయాలని గౌరవించండి. బాధ్యత గలిగిన పదవి లో ఉన్న మహిళగా మీరు చేసిన…
— Nagarjuna Akkineni (@iamnagarjuna) October 2, 2024
Actor Prakash Raj also found fault with the Minister for her “shameless” politics, and asked why women acting in movies were looked down upon as lowly creatures.
ఏంటీ సిగ్గులేని రాజకీయాలు… సినిమాల్లో నటించే ఆడవాళ్ళంటే చిన్న చూప ?.. #justasking https://t.co/MsqIhDpbXa
— Prakash Raj (@prakashraaj) October 2, 2024
