Hyderabad (Telangana): Telangana Forest and Environment Minister Konda Surekha has apologised for her remarks on actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu's divorce from Naga Chaitanya.
Her apology came following a strong objection by Samantha and after Bharat Raksha Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao, or KTR, sent a legal notice to her.
In a series of posts on X, Surekha said that her comments were meant to question KTR's "belittling of women" and not hurt anyone's feelings.
She said that she admires Samantha and her way of moving on in life and becoming a role model.
“If you or your fans are offended by my comments, I unconditionally retract my comments. Don't think otherwise," she wrote.
The minister had linked KTR to the actor couple's divorce, which created a ruckus. Following this, the BRS leader sent him a legal notice to withdraw his statement and apologise or face legal action.
నా వ్యాఖ్యల ఉద్దేశం మహిళల పట్ల ఒక నాయకుడి చిన్నచూపు ధోరణిని ప్రశ్నించడమే కానీ మీ @Samanthaprabhu2 మనోభావాలను దెబ్బతీయడం కాదు.
— Konda surekha (@iamkondasurekha) October 2, 2024
స్వయం శక్తితో మీరు ఎదిగిన తీరు నాకు కేవలం అభిమానం మాత్రమే కాదు.. ఆదర్శం కూడా..
Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his father, and actor Nagarjuna have also slammed the minister over the remarks.
Other film personalities, including South Indian superstar Junior NTR, and actor Nani also criticised her for dragging the names of film stars to target his political opponents.
Following Surekha’s comments, Samantha clarified that their divorce happened amicably and peacefully. She urged the minister not to make her journey difficult and to be responsible and respectful towards people's privacy.
Chaitanya said that the minister's claim was not only false but also completely “ridiculous and unacceptable.” His stepmother, Amala Akkineni, also expressed disappointment over the comments.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, if you believe in human courtesy, please rein in your leaders and ask your minister to apologise to my family and withdraw his venomous statement. Protect the citizens of this country. Nagarjuna also requested the minister not to use the lives of film stars who stay away from politics to criticise their opponents,” she wrote on Instagram.
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