The Hindu : New Delhi News : BJP issues White Paper on Games preparations

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Wednesday, Aug 04, 2010
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New Delhi

BJP issues White Paper on Games preparations

Special Correspondent

- Photo: V. Sudershan

IN BLACK AND WHITE: BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu flanked by former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana and Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta (right) releasing the White Paper on “corruption” in Commonwealth Games projects in the Capital on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday issued a White Paper on the upcoming Commonwealth Games and demanded that Union Sports Minister M. S. Gill, Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit be divested of their responsibilities because of alleged corruption that has taken place in their preparations.

Addressing a press conference, BJP leader in charge of Delhi Venkaiah Naidu and Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta demanded that “honest persons should be appointed in their places''. They also demanded that the government appoint a time-bound judicial commission to inquiring into alleged cases of corruption.

Mr. Naidu said already the scam involving two members of the Organising Committee in the Queens Baton Relay had come to light. “It proves that loot of public money in the name of Games is being committed,'' he said.

The BJP leaders said that on April 29, 2010, Mr. Kalmadi had himself written a letter to the Sports Ministry defending both the members, T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mahendroo, contending that these charges have not been proved and are baseless.

Mr. Naidu said the information about Queen's Baton Relay was with the Sports Ministry and the Organising Committee in February itself. This is the reason why the Sports Ministry had written a letter to the Organising Committee on February 11, 2010, saying that Mr. Darbari should not be involved in the Games.

A Joint Secretary of the Sports Ministry had in a letter to Mr. Kalmadi on April 20 stated that Mr. Darbari should not be included in the Indian team of officials visiting Australia for the Queen's Baton Relay because an inquiry was under way against him for bungling in Customs during the Baton Relay in Britain.

Mr. Gupta said thousands of crores had been committed in the name of the Commonwealth Games in which various agencies were now involved. He charged that the government deliberately delayed the start of the projects because its intentions were not good. He said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi were deliberately staying away from the inauguration of stadiums or sports complexes “so that when corruption comes to light they may defend themselves by saying that they have not inaugurated any of them''.

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