Kalmadi there as IOA president: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday distanced itself from Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman and party Lok Sabha MP from Pune Suresh Kalmadi even as it gave a clean chit to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit besides union ministers M S Gill and Jaipal Reddy on the issue. HT reports

The Congress on Tuesday distanced itself from Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman and party Lok Sabha MP from Pune Suresh Kalmadi even as it gave a clean chit to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit besides union ministers M S Gill and Jaipal Reddy on the issue.

HT Image

“Suresh Kalmadi is there not as a Congress member but as Indian Olympic Association president. Serious charges have been levelled against the organising committee and as its chairman, he will reply to those,” party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said.

But he was categorical in saying that if “something wrong has happened, the law will take its own course”.

At the same time, Ahmed said the integrity of Reddy and Gill, who are also looking after the games related works, is “beyond any doubt”. He had similar observations about the Delhi Chief Minister. “She is of very impeccable integrity.”

The spokesman evaded questions when asked whether he could give a similar clean chit to Kalmadi or if he was defending him.

“I am not defending Kalmadi. He is not there as a Congress representative. Who am I to give a clean chit to Kalmadi,” he said.

On the allegations of material for the games being purchased at exorbitant rates, the party said the “huge expenditure” on hiring for the event seemed “unrealistic”.

The spokesman maintained that the games were being organised in India for the first time and any obstruction to these would bring a bad name to the country.