Protest near CWG OC office, CGF CEO Hooper's effigy burned

A coalition of more than 20 groups calling itself the "Anti-Commonwealth Games Front" on Thursday protested at the Jantar Mantar, near the Organising Committee headquarters in New Delhi, and demanded boycott of the October 3-14 event and Queen's Baton Relay.

A coalition of more than 20 groups calling itself the "Anti-Commonwealth Games Front" on Thursday protested at the Jantar Mantar, near the Organising Committee headquarters in New Delhi, and demanded boycott of the October 3-14 event and Queen's Baton Relay.

HT Image

About 100 people, holding placards that read "boycott the poverty Games" and "we want schools, not stadiums", gathered near the OC office this morning and termed the Games as a complete waste of the country's precious resources.

Yesterday, activists from the "Rashtrawadi Sena", a hardline Hindu group, burnt the effigy of Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper outside the OC office and held signs saying "Racist Hooper Go Back", "Shame On Michael Hooper" and "Hooper insulted our nation: Hooper go back".

The demonstration was the result of Hooper's alleged outbursts in which the New Zealander had made some disparaging remarks about India's population at a closed door state government meeting last week.

However, his remarks were later denied by the CGF President Mike Fennell.