Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao on Wednesday sent a legal notice to Telangana Minister and Congress leader Konda Surekha, after her remarks against him sparked a massive controversy.

Surekha had claimed that KTR was linked to the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya, and also levelled other allegations against the BRS leader.

In the legal notice issued to the Minister, KTR described her remarks as “baseless and malicious” and accused her of attempting to tarnish his reputation by making unsubstantiated claims.

“I am astonished that a fellow minister would make such claims without any sense of decorum,” KTR said in his notice. He also called Surekha’s remarks politically motivated and said they were aimed at damaging his reputation.

KTR demanded that Konda Surekha retract her statements and issue a public apology. If she fails to do so within 24 hours, he warned, he will pursue legal action, including a defamation lawsuit and potential criminal proceedings.

A viral video featuring Telangana Minister Konda Surekha sparked a controversy earlier today. In the video she accused KTR of meddling in the personal lives of celebrities and being linked to drug-related controversies.

Meanwhile, Telugu actor Samantha expressed her disappointment over Konda Surekha’s comments regarding her divorce, underscoring the need to respect the privacy of actors and their personal lives.

Earlier, Naga Chaitanya’s father, actor Nagarjuna also strongly condemned the Minister’s comment.

“I strongly condemn the comments of the honourable minister, Mrs Konda Surekha. Don’t use the lives of film stars who stay away from politics to criticise your opponents. Please respect other people’s privacy,” he wrote on X in Telugu.

“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,” his tweet further read.

Naga Chaitanya and Samantha publicly announced their separation in 2021.