True to word, Aiyar ‘hell out of country’

Congress leader and self-styled Commonwealth Games critic, Mani Shankar Aiyar has kept his promise of being “hell out of the country” during the sporting event.

Congress leader and self-styled Commonwealth Games critic, Mani Shankar Aiyar has kept his promise of being “hell out of the country” during the sporting event.

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The 59-year-old ex-sports minister, who had last month created a sensation by saying that he welcomed the heavy rain in the Capital, as it would disrupt the Games’ preparation, left the country on Monday.

“I am getting the hell out of the country,” said the former Union minister before leaving the city. Aiyar, who provided fodder to Opposition and the critics by openly questioning why India was hosting the Games, remained unrepentant about his remarks despite the major embarrassment for the government of his own party.

He is believed to have gone to London just six days before the event begins.

Last month, Aiyar had said that he was in no mood to witness the Games and that he will opt to stay out of Delhi.

“I am hell out of the country for these two weeks, since I do no want to witness the Games,” Aiyar had said after attending former minister Shashi Tharoor’s marriage in Kerala on August 22.

“The money being spent on the Games could have been utilised for developing infrastructure in rural areas and for training sports persons in various disciplines to make India a strong sporting nation,” he had said then.

Aiyar had created a furore by saying he would be unhappy if the Commonwealth Games are a success and that only “evil” will
patronise them.