Is Messi more important than Telangana’s distress? Bandi Sanjay targets Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, questioning his priorities and alleging that he chose to attend a high-profile event involving football legend Lionel Messi over addressing the problems faced by the people of Telangana.

Taking to X, Bandi Sanjay criticised Rahul Gandhi’s participation in the “GOAT India Tour” event, asking whether celebrity programmes mattered more to him than public hardship. He said Rahul Gandhi had earlier promised to reach Telangana “within a minute” whenever people were in distress, but that assurance had not translated into action.

In a sarcastic remark, the Union Minister said that Rahul Gandhi’s “one minute” appeared to function only in a “luxury time zone”, claiming that his watch worked for VIP events and photo opportunities, but not for people’s suffering. Giving priority to a football star over the woes of Telangana’s citizens was “unfortunate”, he alleged.

Rahul Gandhi arrived in Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon and attended the felicitation event held at the conclusion of Messi’s programme. He shared the stage with Lionel Messi, Inter Miami players Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, and Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Bandi Sanjay also accused the Congress government in Telangana of “playing with people’s lives”, alleging that several promises made during the elections, including the party’s six guarantees, remain unfulfilled. He claimed that Rahul Gandhi was rarely seen when people were facing difficulties, remained away during times of unrest, but ensured his presence at high-visibility events.

To underline his criticism, Bandi Sanjay tagged a video clip of Rahul Gandhi’s earlier speech in which he had promised to immediately come to Telangana whenever needed, stating that those words had not been reflected in his actions.