The statement went viral and triggered intense backlash, with opposition parties, especially the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing the Congress-led government of institutional corruption

metro india news  I hyderabad

A political storm has erupted in Telangana after Minister for Forest, Environment, and Endowments, Konda Surekha, remarked that ministers typically take money to clear official files, a statement that was quickly seized upon by political rivals as an admission of corruption within the government.

While laying the foundation stone for a government girls' junior college in Warangal, Surekha said, “Since I am the Forest Minister, some companies come to me for file clearances. Usually, ministers take money to clear such files. I tell them they need not give even a new paisa but should do social service like building a school.” She went on to mention that one such company agreed to construct the college building at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore.

The statement went viral and triggered intense backlash, with opposition parties, especially the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), accusing the Congress-led government of institutional corruption. BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) took to social media, saying, “Congratulations to Minister Konda Surekha for finally speaking some truths! Congress in Telangana runs a ‘commission sarkaar’... I urge her to name and shame the corrupt ministers.”

Amid the growing controversy, Konda Surekha issued a strong clarification. In a statement posted on social media and reiterated in a video, she claimed her remarks were deliberately distorted. “I was referring to the ministers in the previous BRS government who used to demand bribes for clearing files,” she explained. “The comment was not about the current Congress cabinet. My words were edited and circulated to create confusion and to malign our transparent governance.”

Surekha accused the BRS and its “paid social media machinery” of spreading misinformation to discredit the Congress government’s development efforts. She reiterated that she has never taken a single rupee and instead encourages companies to contribute to community development.

Slamming the BRS leadership, Surekha pointed out past instances of alleged corruption under their regime and challenged them to investigate the sudden rise in personal assets of their former ministers. She further warned that any continued false propaganda would not be tolerated, adding, “People gave their verdict in the elections. It is time the BRS accepted it.”

Controversies have often followed Minister Konda Surekha. In a major uproar last year, she stirred significant backlash by linking BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao to the high-profile divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. The remarks drew sharp criticism, prompting both actor Nagarjuna Akkineni — Naga Chaitanya's father — and K.T. Rama Rao to file separate defamation suits against her.