Dikshit 'pained' by Aiyar's attitude

With Delhi poised for opening of Commonwealth Games on Sunday, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said she felt pained when people like former Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar decide to go out of the city during the event.

With Delhi poised for opening of Commonwealth Games on Sunday, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said she felt pained when people like former Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar decide to go out of the city during the event.

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"I feel pained, I feel bad. How are the games disturbing anybody?", she told NDTV.

Aiyar, who had criticised holding of the Games and had sparked furore by saying that only "evil" will patronise them, kept his promise of being "hell out of the country" during the sporting event and left for London a few days ago.

Aiyar (69), who had created a sensation by earlier saying that he welcomed the heavy rain in the capital, since it would disrupt the preparation for the games, left the country on Monday.

Asked whether she felt amused or upset at Aiyar's act, the Delhi Chief Minister said "neither".

Dikshit, who was given the responsibility of turning the Games Village around amid a negative publicity, said she was satisfied with the progress made.

In four days, things were made better, she said adding, however, that there was no point in talking about such things.

"This is not the time to say all this," she said.

The Chief Minister said that Organising Committee secretary general Lalit Bhanot's comment on different standards of hygiene for west and India were not needed and were "thoughtless".

Not putting the entire blame on the Organising Committee for the Games, she said, the OC is supposed to run the games, the city's get up is our responsibility.