Konda Surekha summoned by Hyderabad court after Nagarjuna's criminal defamation complaint
Konda Surekha made controversial comments in October on Nagarjuna's family, particularly on the divorce of his son Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
A Hyderabad court on Thursday summoned Telangana Minister Konda Surekha to appear before it on December 12 over a criminal defamation complaint filed by actor Nagarjuna. The actor accused the minister of making defamatory statements against him and his family. (Also Read: Are Naga Chaitanya-Sobhita Dhulipala, Akhil Akineni-Zainab Ravdjee getting married on same day? Nagarjuna reveals)
Konda Surekha summoned
The Special Judicial First Class Magistrate (JFCM) for Excise Cases issued summons to Surekha under section 356 (defamation) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Surekha, Minister of Forest, stirred up a controversy in October this year with her allegedly defamatory comments. She withdrew her remarks after they triggered strong reactions from political leaders and the Telugu cinema industry.
Nagarjuna had filed a criminal defamation complaint against Surekha as her comments involved his son Naga Chaitanya. The court had earlier recorded the statement of Nagarjuna and others.
What did Konda Surekha say?
Speaking to the media at an event, Konda Surekha had said, “It is KT Rama Rao because of whom Samantha's divorce happened. He was a minister at that time and used to tap the phones of the actresses and then find their weaknesses to blackmail them. He used to make them drug addicts and then do this. Everyone knows this, Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his family, everybody is aware that such a thing happened."
Konda Surekha was referring to the 2021 divorce between Nagarjuna's elder son, Naga Chaitanya, and his fellow actor, Samantha Ruth Prabhu. However, Konda Surekha's statement was met with a lot of heat, not only from the Akkineni family but also from Samantha and other prominent figures of the Telugu film industry, including actor Jr NTR and filmmaker SS Rajamouli.
"I strongly condemn the comments of the Minister, Konda Surekha. Don't use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please 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 had said in a post on X.
Interestingly, Konda Surekha's summon happens days before the wedding of Naga Chaitanya with actor Sobhita Dhulipala on December 4. On the work front, Nagarjuna will be next seen in Kubera and Coolie.
– With PTI inputs.