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Kalmadi hits back at Sheila over CWG
Ajay Banerjee/TNS

New Delhi, October 17
A beleaguered Suresh Kalmadi today hit back at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, telling her to do some introspection and “check corruption in her own government” before pointing fingers at the Organising Committee (OC) of the recently concluded Commonwealth Games.

Kalmadi, who heads the OC, termed Dikshit’s remarks as “most disappointing and uncalled for”. “It is not right to deflect and point fingers at others when she must indulge in self-reflection on corruption in her own departments,” he said.

Choosing Dasehra as an occasion to speak his heart out, Kalmadi said: “We don’t want to be scapegoats anymore.” He said Sheila Dikshit should stop taking credit for what clearly was a “team effort”.

Notably, Dikshit had yesterday said the finger of suspicion of corruption in the Commonwealth Games’ organisation was allegedly on Kalmadi and that the probe would clear the "cobwebs”. Also, she dubbed as “mysterious” the manner of functioning of the Organising Committee. And today, Kalmadi stirred up a proverbial hornets nest, making it clear that “silence should not be interpreted as weakness and his patience not be taken as admission of guilt”. In a statement e-mailed to the media, he pointed out: “We are sure that the terms of reference of the Shunglu committee (headed by former CAG VK Shunglu) will include not just the scope of work undertaken by the OC at a budget of Rs 1,620 crore, but also the Rs 16,000 crore spent by the Delhi government.”

After the conclusion of the Games, Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government has been in a self-congratulatory mode, claiming credit even for even those jobs that it didn’t do, Kalmadi alleged. “Games were successful because of the efforts of a large number of people and agencies, and not by any individual… Dikshit’s attempt to take credit for getting the Games Village ready on time does not fit with the team concept.”

The Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi and the Organising Committee were preparing the Village for over two years while co-ordinating between a number of agencies, he said.

Regarding his silence in the run-up to the Games, the OC chief said: “I was quiet as I wanted the Games to be a success… it was more important to focus on the task of conducting the Games, as the national pride was at stake.”

Kalmadi said the OC was constantly being criticised for delays and shoddy work when it was not at all involved in any construction activity. All decisions in the OC were made by the Executive Board, which includes two representatives each of the Union and Delhi governments.