Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has sharply criticized Telangana minister Konda Surekha for her remarks linking Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao (KTR) to the high-profile divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Vaishnaw expressed outrage over Surekha’s comments, which he described as a personal attack on film personalities, and questioned the silence of top Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi on the issue. He alleged that this silence reflects the Congress party’s “anti-women” attitude.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Vaishnaw said, “The statements by a Minister in the Telangana Government slandering the character of leading film personalities are appalling and signify the anti-woman mindset of the Congress. At the same time, it shows how this Party views the entertainment industry, which is the pride of India.” Vaishnaw emphasized that there is no room in society for such remarks and that the silence of Congress leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi, is indicative of their tacit approval of such defamatory statements.
The controversy erupted after Konda Surekha, a Congress leader and minister in Telangana, made comments that linked BRS’s KTR to the widely publicized divorce between Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Prabhu. This statement not only dragged political figures into a personal matter but also drew widespread condemnation from various corners of the political spectrum.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader N Ramchander Rao joined the criticism, calling Surekha’s remarks a “character assassination.” In a statement to ANI, Rao said, “Politics should not go beyond the limits. The language limit is very important. The language used by the minister is defamatory material. It is a character assassination.” He further stressed that political discourse should remain within the bounds of decency, particularly when it involves public figures from fields such as entertainment, which holds a special place in Indian society.
Rao also touched upon the broader implications of such inflammatory rhetoric, remarking that verbal exchanges in politics have increasingly crossed the limits of acceptable discourse. He added, “The verbal exchanges by the political leaders crossing the limits are unfortunate. Because the defamation case has been filed, the result will be something different. Nonetheless, the political language should be within the parliamentary language limits and no one should cross the limits. Leaders of all the political parties should constrain the language.”
The fallout from Konda Surekha’s remarks has already escalated to legal battles. Naga Chaitanya’s father, veteran actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, has filed a defamation case against Surekha. The case was filed under Section 356 of the Bhartiya Nayay Sanhita (Indian Penal Code) in a district court in Hyderabad. The legal action reflects the strong backlash against the personal nature of the comments, and Nagarjuna’s firm stance in defending his family’s honor.
At the same time, KT Rama Rao, the BRS leader who was directly implicated in Surekha’s remarks, issued a legal notice to the Telangana Congress minister. The notice threatened defamation and criminal cases against her, demanding a public apology within 24 hours. The intensity of the political and legal repercussions demonstrates how serious this issue has become, especially as it involves both high-profile actors and prominent political figures.
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Under mounting pressure, Konda Surekha later apologized to Naga Chaitanya, Samantha Prabhu, and their families for her comments. However, she did not retract her accusations against KTR, maintaining her position despite the backlash. This partial apology has done little to quell the controversy, with both political and public figures continuing to voice their disapproval.
In an effort to defuse the situation, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president B Mahesh Kumar Goud requested that the film industry move on from the controversy. He acknowledged that the minister’s comments had caused pain and said that she had withdrawn her statement. Goud further urged Congress leaders and ministers to exercise caution in their public statements, emphasizing the importance of responsible communication in sensitive matters.
Meanwhile, actress Kushboo Sundar, who has transitioned into politics herself, called the remarks “an absolute disgrace to womanhood.” She expressed anger over the way a person in a position of responsibility could make “baseless, appalling, and degrading statements” about the film industry, which she referred to as her “place of worship.”
The incident highlights the often fraught intersection between politics, celebrity, and public discourse, particularly when personal matters are politicized in such a public manner.
