Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya and actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu have strongly condemned Telangana Congress Minister Konda Surekha for her remarks linking their divorce to political involvement. Surekha had alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) was responsible for their separation, accusing him of tapping actresses’ phones and blackmailing them. Her comments ignited widespread controversy in the film industry.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Naga Chaitanya issued a statement calling Surekha's claims "ridiculous and unacceptable." He emphasized that his divorce with Samantha was a mutual decision made with respect and dignity. "The divorce decision is one of the most painful and unfortunate decisions one has to make. After a lot of thought, we made a mutual decision to part ways due to different life goals," he wrote.
Samantha Ruth Prabhu echoed Chaitanya's sentiments, releasing a statement on Instagram. She clarified that their divorce was a personal matter, finalized amicably and without any political conspiracy. Samantha urged the public to stop speculating, highlighting the courage it takes for a woman to survive in the entertainment industry.
The minister’s remarks were widely condemned by celebrities across the Telugu film industry. Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Allu Arjun, and Nani took to social media, expressing their outrage over the baseless allegations. The actors shared a unified message with the hashtag #FilmIndustryWillNotTolerate, calling for respect and dignity in public discourse.
Minister Konda Surekha later clarified that her remarks were aimed at questioning KTR's treatment of women, but she offered an apology if Samantha or her fans were hurt by her comments.
