Jaitley targets Maken, calls CWG biggest scandal

Sports minister Ajay Maken's statement on the Commonwealth Games reveals little but conceals much more, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said in Rajya Sabha today.

Sports minister Ajay Maken's statement on the Commonwealth Games (CWG) reveals little but conceals much more, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley said in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

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"Mr Maken's statement reveals a little but conceals much more and one of the questions which arises is why does it conceal so much of information," Jaitley, the leader of opposition in the house, asked.

He also stated that real issues had been sidestepped.

"The international sporting event became a massive scandal," he said, questioning the manner in which the structure of the Games was created, various executing agencies were empowered to go ahead with the awarding of contracts and large sums of taxpayers' money were spent on projects.

"How much of the money was squandered away still remains a major national concern," he added.

Jaitley said efforts were being made to conceal who was really responsible.

Maken had recently stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government had appointed Suresh Kalmadi as the chief of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. Kalmadi is currently in jail for alleged involvement in financial irregularities in the CWG projects.