HYDERABAD – Telangana’s political landscape was rocked on Wednesday when Forest Minister Konda Surekha made controversial allegations linking Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) to the high-profile divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
In a scathing attack, Minister Surekha accused KTR, son of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, of involvement in drugs and blackmail within the film industry. She claimed KTR was “the reason why many actresses left the film industry and married early.”
The allegations have drawn sharp criticism from veteran Telugu actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, father of Naga Chaitanya. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Nagarjuna condemned the minister’s comments as “completely irrelevant and false.”
“I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. Konda Surekha,” Nagarjuna wrote. “Don’t use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people’s privacy.”
The actor demanded an immediate retraction of the minister’s statements, emphasizing the need for responsible behavior from public officials.
While KTR has not yet commented on the matter, BRS party leader and former minister Harish Rao Thanneeru has demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress leader.
The controversy has also shed light on the broader issue of online harassment. Minister Surekha claimed she faced abuse online after a photo showing BJP leader and Medak MP Raghunandan Rao garlanding her at an event went viral. She accused BRS leaders of using the incident to demean her based on her gender.
As the political drama unfolds, many are watching to see how this incident will impact the already tense relationship between Telangana’s ruling party and the opposition. The controversy also raises questions about the intersection of politics, celebrity culture, and social media in India’s public discourse.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the sensitive nature of celebrity personal lives and the potential consequences when they become entangled in political rhetoric.
