After facing severe backlash for her comments on the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya Akkineni and Samantha, Telangana’s Forest and Environment Minister Konda Surekha issued an apology for her remarks against the Akkineni family and Samantha. The Minister acknowledged that she unintentionally caused hurt to Samantha while criticising BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR).
“I do not have any hatred or angst against others. Unfortunately, I brought up the name of a family during my outburst. It was unintentional,” the Minister said on Thursday, October 3.
Earlier, the Minister had expressed apology and unconditionally retracted her comments. “My comments are meant to question a leader's belittling of women and not to hurt your @Samanthaprabhu2 sentiments. The way you have grown up with self-power is not only an admiration for me.. but also an ideal..If you or your fans are offended by my comments, I unconditionally retract my comments.. (sic)” Konda Surekha wrote on X.
A day earlier, Konda Surekha had made defamatory remarks about former minister and BRS working president KTR and actor Nagarjuna.
While KTR issued a legal notice threatening to file a case of defamation against her, Akkineni Nagarjuna and Akkineni Amala strongly condemned the Minister’s allegations. Nagarjuna’s son Naga Chaitanya also issued a statement terming the actions of Surekha as “ridiculous” and “unacceptable.”
Read: Samantha and Naga Chaitanya condemn Minister Surekha’s speculations on their divorce
Responding to the Minister’s comments, Samantha wrote, “To come out and work, to survive in a glamorous industry where women are more often than not treated as props, to fall in love and to fall out of love, to still stand up and fight. It takes a lot of courage and strength. Konda Surekha Garu, I am proud of what this journey turned me into — please don't trivialise it. I hope you realise that your words carry significant weight as a Minister. I implore you to be responsible and respectful of individuals' privacy. 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 based on mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved. Could you please keep my name out of political battles? I have always remained non-political and wish to continue doing so.”
The Telugu film fraternity also extended their solidarity to the Akkineni family and Samantha. Several leading actors including Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, Chiranjeevi, Nani, and Venkatesh condemned the remarks of the Minister. They said that the fraternity will not remain quiet if they are unnecessarily dragged into a political slugfest.