Minister Konda Surekha Clarifies Remarks Amidst Backlash from Film Personalities

Telangana Forest and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha has retracted her earlier remarks concerning Telangana’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president after facing significant criticism. On Thursday, October 3, 2024, the minister, in a statement to the media, addressed the backlash from several notable film industry personalities, including Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Junior NTR, Venkatesh, Prakash Raj, and Khushbu.

The controversy began when Surekha made remarks involving these actors, which she later described as an emotional response to comments by K.T. Rama Rao, a BRS leader. “I had to criticize him (K.T. Rama Rao). I do not have any personal animosity towards anyone,” Surekha stated, emphasizing that mentioning the actors was inadvertent. She expressed regret after viewing a social media post by actress Samantha, which prompted her to issue an unconditional withdrawal of her comments on the same night.

Despite retracting her statements, Minister Surekha demanded an apology from K.T. Rama Rao regarding the social media remarks made against her. She accused BRS social media activists of targeting her with defamatory and abusive comments. Surekha confirmed her intent to pursue legal action following a legal notice from K.T. Rama Rao.

In response, K.T. Rama Rao reportedly cautioned against further comments from the minister, hinting at potential legal consequences. The minister’s remarks and subsequent retraction stirred controversy, prompting discussions about decorum in public statements.

Reacting to the unfolding situation, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President reportedly engaged with Minister Surekha to obtain a clarification about her comments. The TPCC leader also advised Congress members to exercise caution in their public declarations, as per an official party release.