Telangana minister's stormy remarks over KTR's link to Samantha-Naga divorce spark row: Controversy explained

Telangana's Forests Minister and Congress leader Konda Surekha has sparked a major controversy by accusing KT Rama Rao (KTR), a leader of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party, of being connected to the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. She also alleged that he was involved in drugs and blackmail.

ACTORS RESPOND

Actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu have taken aim at Telangana Minister Konda Surekha following her comments. The actors described the minister's claims as "absolutely ridiculous" and "unacceptable."

Samantha Ruth Prabhu weighed in on the controversy, urging Konda Surekha to be "responsible and respectful of individuals' privacy." In a series of Instagram stories, she criticized the minister for speculating and misrepresenting her personal life. "My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it," she wrote, reiterating that their separation was consensual and devoid of any political motives.

In a statement shared on X, Chaitanya stated, "The claim by the minister is not only false but absolutely ridiculous." He emphasized the emotional toll of divorce, calling it one of the "most painful and unfortunate life decisions" anyone can make. He clarified that the decision to part ways was mutual and amicable, rooted in differing life goals. "Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful," he added.

Adding to the backlash, Chaitanya's father, veteran Telugu actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, condemned Surekha's comments as "completely irrelevant and false," demanding a retraction. He stressed the importance of respecting the privacy of individuals, particularly those in the film industry who do not engage in politics.

As the situation escalated, Konda Surekha issued a clarification, stating that her remarks were intended to address a leader's "belittling of women" and were not meant to offend Samantha Ruth Prabhu. In a post written in Telugu, she expressed her admiration for Prabhu and offered an unconditional retraction if her comments had caused any offense.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya were married in 2017 but divorced in 2021. Recently, Chaitanya got engaged to actress Sobhita Dhulipala, but they have not yet revealed their wedding date.