Congress govt faces criticism over huge expenditure for Lionel Messi show

The Telangana Congress government is facing criticism over alleged spending of Rs 100 crore on Lionel Messi’s visit, which many claim was more about photo-ops for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy than football. Allegations suggest Singareni workers and government school students were denied welfare funds while crores were diverted to the event.

Hyderabad: There is no doubt that Lionel Messi is an all time great when it comes to football, but did the Congress government in Telangana have to spend a rumoured Rs 100 crore, that too for an event that had nothing to do with actual football?

The entire event was more about photo-ops for Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his close circle and those who could afford Rs 10 lakh per photograph, and little with football.

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In fact, though Revanth Reddy had denied that it was a government programme and more of a private event, the government is said to have spent Rs 100 crore, with allegations that it was doing grave injustice to Singareni workers and government school students by diverting hard-earned public funds toward extravagant events instead of welfare and essential services.

It is said that the cash-strapped Singareni had to spend a substantial amount, not less than Rs 10 crore, for the event. The irony is quite visible when Revanth Reddy himself has repeatedly said that the government had no cash to pay even hard-earned retirement benefits to thousands of employees or to keep the promises it made before the elections.

On the other hand are the contradictory claims. Revanth Reddy is said to have told Rahul Gandhi it was a private event, which the State government “adopted”. He also told the media in Delhi that the Messi event was a completely private programme with the government providing only ‘necessary support’.

He also said that he attended only as a guest. But the weeks of football training with photos publicised widely and also the actual event on Saturday proved his claims to be blatant lies.

Also, if it was a private event, why did Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu conduct inspections at the Uppal Stadium? Why did the government reportedly spend Rs 5 crore of public funds to lay an international standard turf at the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Centre?

All this, when none from the government bothered to even visit the students who were hospitalised after food poisoning incidents in Government-run institutions, where over the last two years, complaints of poor quality food being served and children ending up in hospital and even dying, has been frequent.

The government will have to come out with the actual amount it spent to arrange a photo-op for Revanth Reddy with Messi is what several people on social media have been asking.