Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao recently testified against Telangana Environment Minister Konda Surekha in a local court regarding a defamation case.
In his statement to the Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class, KTR asserted that Surekha’s remarks had seriously damaged his personal reputation.
KTR shared that, following the comments, acquaintances who had known him for over 18 years reached out to express their disbelief and shock. He characterized Surekha’s accusations as “extremely despicable” and “hurtful,” especially considering his public service record.
The minister had alleged that KTR was a drug addict and hosted rave parties, claims he described as baseless and aimed solely at garnering publicity.
During the proceedings, KTR urged the court to take his complaint seriously, highlighting that certain comments made by Surekha were particularly offensive. He submitted a video as evidence, which captured the minister making these allegations.
BRS leader Dasoju Sravan, who is a witness in the case, also provided his statement during the hearing.
The court has scheduled the recording of additional witnesses, including Satyavathi Rathod, Balka Suman, and Jagadish Reddy, for October 30. KTR filed the defamation suit against Konda Surekha on October 22, prompted by her assertion that he was responsible for the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya.
On October 3, Konda Surekha made derogatory remarks about KTR, alleging that he was blackmailing film personalities. Prior to filing the lawsuit, KTR had sent a legal notice demanding that Surekha apologize and retract her statements. However, she stood by her comments.
In a related development, actor Nagarjuna, father of Naga Chaitanya, has also filed a petition in the Hyderabad City Civil Court under Section 356 (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the minister.
While Surekha apologized to Samantha and retracted her speculation about the divorce, she has not withdrawn her statements regarding KTR and Nagarjuna.
The ongoing case highlights the tension between political figures and public personalities, raising questions about the limits of free speech and the potential consequences of defamation in public discourse.
As the court proceedings continue, the implications of these allegations and their impact on both KTR’s reputation and the broader political landscape remain to be seen.
