Vijayawada: Use of the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium (IGMS) for actor-politician Chiranjeevi’s Khaidi No 150 audio launch, scheduled for December 25, is being opposed by a few important sports associations.
The High Court order has specifically stated that IGMS should not be given for any purpose other than sports and games. Keeping in view the latest developments, sports personalities have urged the government to change the place of the function.
Following the earlier order of AP High Court, on writ petition 38639 of 2015, the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium is not to be allotted for any activity other than that relating to games and sports. Therefore, VMC commissioner, VMC chairman, district sports authority and district collector are advised to restrain from lending the IGMS to any activity other than the games and sports activity pending further orders.
Municipal commissioner G. Veerapandiyan was not available for comment. In the past, Chiranjeevi’s 175th day function of ‘Indra’ was held in Vijayawada at which the then Chief Minister, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, was chief guest. The latest film’s audio tuned by Devi Sri Prasad will be released in style on December 25 at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Vijayawada.
Neither mayor Koneru Sreedhar nor municipal commissioner G. Veerapandiyan were available for comment. However, AP Badminton Association (APBA) CEO Karanam Chenchu Punnaiah Chowdary found nothing wrong in handing over the IGMS for movie functions. “It is nothing new. In 1974 itself, IGMS was given to ‘Dasara Bullodu’ function,” Punnaiah Chowdary said.
The AP Olympic Association treasurer, K.P. Rao, said that as a sportsman, he has no objection for ha-nding over IGMS for movie function. “Chiranjeevi is a celebrity. Vijayawada people love him and his movies,” he said and added that it is up to the government to decide whe-ther to honour the Court order or not.
However, he suggested a via-media formula to the VMC. “The VMC can ask the film producer to honour sportsmen from Krishna district who brought laurels to the state and country, in their respective disciplines on this occasion,” K.P. Rao suggested.
