South stars slam Telangana minister in support of Samantha Prabhu

Congress leader and Telangana cabinet minister, Konda Surekha invited severe criticism from the South Indian film industry, with her comment on former celebrity couple Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya’s divorce.

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Konda Surekha, a member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, found herself in hot waters after she dragged actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu to criticize fellow politician KT Rama Rao, of Bharatiya Rashtra Samiti (BRS).

Konda linked the ‘Kushi’ actor’s divorce from her ex-husband with KTR and also alleged that the politician is responsible for why many female stars leave the industry to get married early.

“It is KT Rama Rao because of whom Samantha’s divorce happened…,” she said while speaking to media. “He was a minister at that time and used to tap the phones of the actresses and then find their weaknesses to blackmail them…He used to make them drug addicts and then do this…Everyone knows this, Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his family, everybody is aware that such a thing happened.”

The comments did not go down well with the actor as well as her former in-laws and BRS leaders, sparking a major controversy.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Samantha penned a long note, urging the politicians to keep her name out of their political battles.  “My divorce is a personal matter, and I request that you refrain from speculating about it. Our choice to keep things private doesn’t invite misrepresentation. To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved,” she wrote. “Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so.”

Several top stars of South cinema also came out in support of their colleague, calling out the Telangana minister on her baseless and inappropriate comments.

In a gesture of support for his ex-wife, Chaitanya wrote in an Instagram post, “The decision of divorce is easily one of the most painful and unfortunate life decisions one has to make. After a lot of thought, a mutual decision was made by me and my former spouse to part ways. I have remained silent all this while out of deep respect for my earlier spouse as well as my family.”

“Today, the claim made by Minister Konda surekha garu is not only false, it is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. Women deserve to be supported and respected. Taking advantage and exploiting the personal life decisions of celebrities for the sake of media headlines is shameful,” he condemned.

Cinema veteran and her ex-father-in-law Nagarjuna turned to his X handle and 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. Please respect other people’s privacy. As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately.”

Seasoned star and politician Chiranjeevi, superstars Jr. NTR and Allu Arjun and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma among others also stood strong with the ‘Citadel’ actor.

Following the barrage of criticism, the Congress leader retracted her initial statement in an X post. “My intention was only to point out how a leader is belittling towards woman but not to hurt your sentiments, Samantha,” she wrote. “The way you have grown exponentially by yourself is something I admire and aspire to. If you or your fans have been hurt by my words, I unconditionally retract them. Please do not take it otherwise.”

Also Read: Samantha Prabhu lauds ‘hero’ Rhea Chakraborty

It is worth noting here that South Indian actors Samantha Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, son of Telugu cinema veteran Nagarjuna, who tied the knot in 2017, confirmed their separation and divorce in October 2021, after four year years of marriage.

While Chaitanya announced his second engagement with fellow actor Sobhita Dhulipala in August, Prabhu is enjoying her singlehood to the fullest.