BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy slams Telangana govt over Messi football match spending
Hyderabad: BJP MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy on Thursday accused Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of misusing public funds. He claimed the government spent over ₹100 crore on a football exhibition match featuring Lionel Messi. Speaking to reporters, Maheshwar Reddy called it “a financial crime” and questioned the logic of spending taxpayer money for the Chief Minister’s personal amusement.
BJP MLA: “Fulfil promises, not play games”
Maheshwar Reddy said the government had failed to deliver on its promises while focusing on events like the Messi–Revanth match. “If you ignore your commitments, the people will give you your score,” he warned.
He demanded answers from the Chief Minister:
- How much is the government spending on the Uppal stadium match?
- Which departments are funding it?
- Why is this spending justified?
Singareni money used for match?
Reddy said he had seen media reports claiming that Singareni Collieries sponsored Revanth’s team. He demanded transparency. “How much of Singareni’s funds are going to this match? Why not use that money for local athletes or worker welfare?” he asked.
He slammed the government for spending public money on entertainment instead of essential services. “It’s one thing when departments overspend. But when the CM himself does it for fun, it becomes a crime,” he said.
Football match not part of global summit
Maheshwar Reddy took aim at ministers Bhatti Vikramarka and Sidharth Babu for promoting the match as part of the Telangana Rising Global Summit. “The summit ended on December 9. This match is four days later. Was this match even in the original plan?” he asked.
He also pointed out that the Chief Minister met the event organizers during an October visit to Mumbai—long before the summit. “If the football match was planned a month ago, how can it be part of a summit finalized three months earlier?” he asked.
He claimed that even Kerala had refused to host the Messi match, questioning Telangana’s decision.
BJP announces protest rally against public funds misuse
Calling it a gross misuse of public funds, Maheshwar Reddy announced a protest rally. The BJP will stage a demonstration on Friday in front of the Singareni headquarters at Red Hills, Hyderabad.