Kalmadi hits back at Sheila over her comments

PTI

New Delhi, 17 October 2010: Under attack, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Sunday hit back at the Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit, saying her aspersions on corruption in the OC were "most disappointing and uncalled for" and that she must indulge in self-reflection on corruption in her own departments.

 

"Delhi Chief Minister Mrs. Shiela Dikshit s aspersions on corruption in the Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi are most disappointing and uncalled for. It is not right to deflect and point fingers at others when she must indulge in self-reflection on corruption in her own departments," Kalmadi said.

 

"She has said that the ways of the OC are mysterious whereas the Commonwealth Games chief Mr. Michael Fennell declared the conduct of the Games as exceptional and successful," said Kalmadi

 

Kalmadi said that the OC has already welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to set up a probe panel and hoped that the Terms of Reference of the Shunglu Committee will include not just the scope of work undertaken by the OC at a budget of Rs 1620 crore but also the Rs 16,000 spent by the Delhi Government.

 

 

"Despite a series of attacks in the run up to the Games, I was quiet as I wanted the Games to succeed. Keeping quiet should not be interpreted as a sign of weakness. Nor should patience be seen as a sign of guilt. It was more important to focus on the task of conducting the Games well," Kalmadi said

 

Kalmadi goes on to day that the OC has welcomed the Prime Minister’s decision to set up a probe panel into alleged Games scams, and that that the guilty will not be spared irrespective of which agency they belong to.

 

First Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, then Congress President Sonia Gandhi snubs CWG Chief Suresh Kalmadi and adding fuel to the fire, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit points fingers at the Organising Committee.

 

"There’s something mysterious about the way the OC conducted the games, " says the Delhi Chief Minister, after the OC chief Suresh Kalmadi was snubbed by both the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi.