‘Storm in a teacup’: Konda Surekha plays down rift with CM Revanth, tenders apology

A week after police reached her residence over an extortion case involving her OSD, Forest Minister Konda Surekha apologised to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, downplaying the issue as a misunderstanding within the ‘Congress family’ and distancing herself from her daughter’s remarks

Hyderabad: A week after the police drama at her residence, Forest Minister Konda Surekha on Thursday played down her differences with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and tendered an apology to him.

“We are all one Congress family. Like a storm in a teacup, the incident occurred due to some misunderstandings. As in all families, a few disturbances took place in our Congress family too,” Surekha told mediapersons after the Cabinet meeting.

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The controversy erupted after allegations of extortion and bribery surfaced against the Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N Sumanth, whose services were abruptly terminated by the State government. Following this, Task Force police reached the Minister’s residence in Hyderabad last Wednesday night.

The Forest Minister also distanced herself from her daughter Konda Sushmitha’s remarks against the Chief Minister.

“My daughter’s comments were uncalled for. I apologise to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the same,” she said.

The episode triggered a political storm, with several quarters criticising the developments within the Congress Cabinet. The Minister, who skipped the previous Cabinet meeting, subsequently met AICC in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan and TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, where she was reportedly assured that the issue would be resolved amicably.