'Uncouth, Cheap & Disgusting': Telangana Minister's Remark On Samantha-Naga Divorce Sets Off Congress-BRS Row

Telangana minister Konda Surekha’s allegations that senior BRS leader KT Rama Rao was responsible for the divorce of prominent south Indian actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, have sparked a massive controversy.

Before KT Rama Rao, better known as KTR, sent a legal notice to Surekha, the BRS slammed her allegations as “uncouth, cheap and disgusting” demanding Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to step in. The Congress minister said she was reacting to “online abuses” targeted at her by the opposition party.

Apart from strongly worded reactions from the Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, top Telugu star Nagarjuna and the rest of the Akkineni family, the comments have set off a war of words between the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government and the BRS. Some leaders of the YSRCP also jumped into the political mudslinging, and condemned Surekha’s remarks.

What did the BRS say?

The BRS said Surekha’s remarks about KTR were “uncouth”, “cheap and disgusting”. It said the Congress does not have any moral ground now to “preach about the Constitution or its values”. Tagging senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in their post on X, the party further asked them to deal with this “stupidity”.

“Minister Konda Surekha’s comments on BRS Working President KTR are cheap and disgusting. @RahulGandhi, for all your talk of the Constitution and democracy, this is how your party leader speaks. Do listen to her comments; they are a disgrace to politics,” the BRS wrote on X.

To Priyanka Gandhi, it said: “…this is how a leader and minister in your party talks about women and celebrities, dragging their personal lives into politics.”

The party added: “The Congress party holds no moral ground to preach about the Constitution or its values anymore. Such stupidity will be dealt with appropriately and politically. Your leaders are only digging a grave for your party with their motormouth and uncouth remarks.”

Others in the BRS dragged in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, with party leader Krishank saying he was going in for the “characted assassination” of KTR as he was a “threat to the Congress”. He also called out the Gandhi family by saying if such statements reflect the “reality of Sonia Gandhi ji’s Congress”.

“Minister Konda Surekha garu’s personal character assasination statements against Mr.KTR reflects Revanth Godse’s Congress or is this reality of Sonia Gandhi ji’s Congress,” (sic) he said on X.

He added: :Mr.KTR is the Threat to Congress…That is why Revanth always indulges in Character Assassination. Today Konda Surekha garu did the same.” (sic)

Another BBRS leader and former minister Satyavathi said: “Revanth Reddy is doing petty politics by putting women ministers as Shikhandi to divert the failures of Congress rule.”

An actress-turned-politician and YSRCP leader, Roja Selvamani also slammed Surekha’s remarks against KTR. Calling them “despicable”, she said she hoped that the Akkinenis overcome this “painful situation”.

“I strongly condemn Telangana Minister Konda Surekha Akkineni’s despicable comments on Akkineni’s family, especially on Samantha. The community objected to the posts of followers on Konda Surekha

@BRSparty. How could that mind agree to make even worse comments on a fellow woman than

@iamkondasurekha who was in agony on that occasion. Bringing an unrelated woman into the political controversies of your opponents is evil, and it hurts even more that women do it. I hope that Akkineni’s @iamnagarjuna family, @Samanthaprabhu2 will overcome this painful situation with courage…” she wrote on X.

What did the Congress say?

Surekha has repeatedly alleged that BRS social media activists were targeting her online and defaming her by making abusive comments against her. She also alleged that earlier the party made “derogatory” comments on Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi.

Telangana Mahila Congress leader Sunita Rao demanded an apology from KTR to women ministers for “making inappropriate comments”. “KTR should apologize to women ministers for making inappropriate comments against women ministers Konda Surekha, Sitakka Gar and other women. Telangana women will not forgive you if this continues. They will advise you accordingly,” she said in Telugu on X.