Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh has called out Telangana minister Konda Surekha for using her name in the statements for ‘political gain.’
In a detailed statement shared on the platform X (formerly Twitter), Rakul urged political leaders to refrain from using her name to create headlines and distract from pressing issues.
She wrote in her lengthy tweet asking political leaders to ‘stop using my name in a malicious way to gain political mileage.’
“Telugu Film Industry is known worldwide for its creativity and professionalism. I've had a great journey in this beautiful industry and still very much connected. It pains to hear such baseless and vicious rumours being spread about the women of this fraternity. What's more disheartening is the fact that this is being done by another woman who’s supposedly in a very responsible position. For the sake of dignity, we choose to remain silent but it is misconstrued as our weakness. I am absolutely apolitical and have nothing to do with any person/political party, whatsoever. I urge to stop using my name in a malicious way to gain political mileage . Artists and creative personalities should be kept out of political slug fest and their names should not be used to grab headlines by linking them with fictitious stories,” her tweet read.
The controversy erupted after Surekha made comments linking Rakul Preet to the ongoing drug-related allegations surrounding the Telugu film industry. The minister claimed that BRS leader KTR was connected to drug parties and implicated in the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
Surekha alleged that KTR had introduced several actresses to drugs, suggesting that this contributed to their early marriages. She specifically mentioned, “Rakul Preet got married and other two to three heroines as well. Why do we have to bear this headache of the drug cases and get married soon?”
On October 2, Telangana Minister Konda Surekha claimed senior BRS leader KT Ramarao was the reason behind the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya.
A remark that drew sharp responses from the actor's family as well as the opposition party.
Naga Chaitanya's father Akkineni Nagarjuna, who criticised the minister on Wednesday, has now filed a defamation case against Surekha in the Nampally court under section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Talking to reporters in Hyderabad, the Minister for Environment, Forests and Endowments alleged that BRS social media activists were targeting her online and defaming her by making abusive comments against her.
Konda Surekha also claimed that earlier the opposition party made "derogatory" comments on Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi.
"KTR (Rama Rao) was the reason behind the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha...." the Minister alleged.
Responding, Nagarjuna asked the Minister to respect other people's privacy.
"As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately," Nagarjuna said in a social media post.
KTR warned the minister that if she doesn't tender an apology within 24 hours, a defamation suit along with a criminal case would be filed against her.
Surekha had issued an apology earlier today. (With PTI Inputs)
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