Rs 35,000 cr for Games waste, should’ve gone to poor kids: Mani Shankar Aiyar

UPA’s in-house critics appear determined to embarrass the government. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who routinely advertises that he is not on the same page with the government on policy issues, on Tuesday said that only evil minds can patronise the Commonwealth Games. He also said that he would be unhappy if the games were a success.

This drew sharp reaction from CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, who lost no time in dismissing the former sports minister’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “anti-national.”

The verbal spat was initiated by Mr Aiyar when he was asked to comment on the rainy morning by some mediapersons outside Parliament House. “I am delighted in a way because rains are causing difficulties for the Commonwealth Games. Basically, I will be very unhappy if the games are successful because then they will start bringing Asian Games, Olympic Games and all those,” the former sports minister replied.

Explaining his opposition to the Games, Mr Aiyar said a whopping Rs 35,000 crore were being spent on the sporting event, when it should have been spent on children who did not have the basic facilities to play. “Those who are patronising the Games can only be evil. They cannot be God. Thousands of crores are being spent on circuses like these while the common children are being deprived of basic facilities to play,” Mr Aiyar said, adding that all “expectations” from the Games had been belied.

Mr Aiyar also alleged that India had bribed other Commonwealth nations for the Games. “To take the Games, the Olympic association of every Commonwealth country was given $1 lakh...it was given to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Britain. Those countries did not need this money,” he said adding that “I would call it a bribe.”

Not the one to take Mr Aiyar’s acerbic attack lying down, Mr Suresh Kalmadi hit back soon after calling the senior Congress leader’s comments “ridiculous” and “irresponsible.” “No Indian national can speak like that,” he retorted. “No individual can spoil the Games. It is totally irresponsible and ridiculous statement from such a senior person, who has also headed the sports ministry earlier,” said Mr Kalmadi.

“With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, he should know his responsibilities and think before making such a statement. He is an elected member of Rajya Sabha but it is totally an anti-national statement from him,” he added.

Not stopping at that, Mr Kalmadi made it a point to raise Mr Aiyar’s earlier stint as a sports minister when he had spoken against the CWG. “It was because of his openness that he was removed from the sport minister’s post. If he would have been the minister, the Commonwealth Games would never have come to India,” the CWG organising committee chief said.

The Congress too distanced itself from Mr Aiyar’s remarks. “I do not take him seriously,” party MP Sandeep Dikshit said.

BJP, which has also raised questions about the preparations and the manner in which funds were being used, said irresponsible statements should not be made on the issue. SP, though not agreeing with Mr Aiyar’s observations which it said were made for “sadistic pleasure,” sought an inquiry into the huge funds that had been blown up for the Games.