Telangana Minister Konda Surekha Sparks Row Again: “Other Ministers Take Bribes, I Don’t”

Telangana Minister for Forests and Environment Konda Surekha has once again put her foot in her mouth. This time, she threw her Cabinet colleagues under the bus by claiming that, unlike other ministers, she does not take bribes to clear files.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a building to be constructed by Aurobindo Pharma with a ₹5 crore investment on the premises of the Government Girls’ Junior College in Krishna Colony, Warangal—under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program—Surekha said several companies approach her for project approvals.

“Several ministers take money and clear the files, but not me. I ask the companies to participate in community services, like building a school for children,” she added.

As her comments spread like wildfire, Konda Surekha took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify herself. She alleged that some people have distorted her comments. "I made the comments referring to Ministers from the previous BRS government took bribes to clear files," she clarified. 

Condemning the misinterpretation of her comments, she said she will give more clarity on the subject in a video later today (May 16).

This is not the first time Konda Surekha has publicly embarrassed her party.

In October 2024, she made sensational claims alleging that BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) was responsible for the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. She accused KTR of phone tapping, blackmail, and coercion, suggesting he exploited actresses’ vulnerabilities during his tenure as a minister.

While the Congress distanced itself from the remarks, reports indicated that the party took serious exception to her comments. Soon after, Konda Surekha retracted her statement and issued a public apology to Samantha.