Konda Surekha retracts remarks on Samantha but raises divorce issue again

Though she said her intention was not to hurt Samantha's feelings, the Minister also unabashedly continued her comments before the media on the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.

Hyderabad: The ruling Congress found itself cornered yet again after Minister Konda Surekha’s derogatory comments against actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Akkineni Nagarjuna and BRS working president KT Rama Rao, with the severe backlash from multiple quarters forcing the party to ask Surekha to tender an apology. The situation saw the Congress losing the battle on multiple fronts, forcing Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Mahesh Kumar Goud to attempt some damage control by releasing a video message, asking the film industry to stop issuing public reactions and imploring with actors that the issue should stop here.

The Minister’s denigrating comments on Wednesday had sparked an immediate and scathing response from across the Telugu film fraternity, forcing Surekha to come out on Thursday stating that she was retracting her comments on Samantha. However, she stuck to her stance against Rama Rao, and continued the diatribe on multiple instances the same day. Though she said her intention was not to hurt Samantha’s feelings, the Minister also unabashedly continued her comments before the media on the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.

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“Yes, what I said might be wrong but does the world know the reasons behind Naga Chaitanya and Samantha’s divorce? Did Nagarjuna’s family speak about the issue? Samantha cannot speak. I have got information from the film industry itself and I will speak facts and continue to speak in future as well,” she maintained.

Despite the TPCC president asking Ministers and Congress leaders to maintain restraint and to mind their language, Surekha did not stop her diatribe against Rama Rao, going to the extent of even accusing him of murder. Speaking at a programme in Gajwel, she alleged that BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao was “not to be seen”, and that “Rama Rao might have strangulated him or smashed his head or even buried him”. She also handed out threats to Rama Rao, saying that he would not be allowed to step out of his home or move around in the districts or even in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Akkineni Nagarjuna, who had reacted to the Minister’s comments on Wednesday itself, filed a defamation suit under Section 356 of the BNS against her on Thursday. The suit was filed in the court of the Special Judicial Magistrate at Nampally.

Earlier in the day, the fierce response from the Telugu film industry saw K Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubatti, NTR Junior, Nani, Ram Gopal Varma, Khushbu Sundar and several others demanding Surekha to immediately withdraw her remarks. On behalf of Movie Artists Association (MAA), president and actor Vishnu Manchu condemned the derogatory remarks and requested politicians and influential persons not to drag the personal lives of those from the film industry to settle their political scores.

Actor Rakul Preet also responded on social media, stating that it was painful to hear such “baseless and vicious rumours”. “I am absolutely apolitical and have nothing to do with any person/political party, whatsoever. I urge to stop using my name in a malicious way to gain political mileage,” she said.