Telangana minister links Naga-Samantha's divorce to KTR, faces backlash
Telangana's Forest Minister Konda Surekha has sparked a controversy by alleging that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao was involved in the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The Congress leader also accused Rao of blackmailing film personalities after getting them addicted to drugs. These allegations have been vehemently denied by Chaitanya's father, veteran actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, who described them as "completely irrelevant and false."
Akkineni demands withdrawal of 'false' allegations
Akkineni has publicly condemned Surekha's comments and demanded their immediate withdrawal. In a social media post, he wrote, "I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. Konda Surekha. Don't use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents." He further urged her to respect people's privacy and emphasized that her accusations against his family were completely irrelevant and false.
BRS demands apology from Surekha over allegations
While Rao has not yet responded to the allegations, his party leader and former minister Harish Rao Thanneeru has demanded an unconditional apology from Surekha. Surekha's accusation came after she faced online abuse following a photo showing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Medak MP Raghunandan Rao placing a garland around her neck at an event. She alleged that BRS leaders used this incident to demean her using her gender.
