Lokesh Colombo Trip: YSRCP’s Allegation Backfires

The political fight over Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh’s recent visit to Colombo has intensified after fresh allegations were aired by media aligned to Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Lokesh travelled to Sri Lanka to watch the India Pakistan T20 match. Soon after, certain YSRCP-linked platforms claimed that crores of public money were spent on the trip. The reports suggested that while the state was struggling with debts and financial pressure, Lokesh had taken a luxury trip using government funds.

The allegation was highlighted in prime time debates, questioning the timing and expense of the visit.

Lokesh responded on X, stating that he personally paid for his flight ticket and match ticket. He made it clear that not a single rupee from the state exchequer was used. In his post, he also took a swipe at Jagan, asking whether he had ever used someone else’s money to watch a cricket match.

Soon after, the official FactCheckAPGov handle issued a clarification. The fact check stated that the claims about public money being used for the Colombo trip were false. It clearly mentioned that no government funds were spent on the visit.

Lokesh has also maintained earlier that his private travel, including visits to Hyderabad, is paid from his personal funds and not from government revenue. The same clarification was repeated in the case of this Sri Lanka trip.

With the fact check now on record, the controversy has turned into a political exchange between Lokesh and YSRCP circles. For now, the official position remains that the Colombo visit was a private trip funded personally by the minister.