Commonwealth Games is ‘wastage’ of money: Sharad Yadav

New Delhi: While the country may be enthusiastic about India hosting Commonwealth Games, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav has joined Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar in opposing spending on the mega sporting event, saying it is a “wastage” of money and could involve “scams”.

“What Mani Shankar said is totally correct. I support him fully on this. I disapprove of the way money is being wasted on Commonwealth Games,” Yadav, who is also the NDA Convenor, told reporters. Aiyar had a few days back said that when he was Sports Minister till 2008, he had wanted the government not to go for the Commonwealth Games as it was an “enormous waste of money”. Aiyar said the poor will not have access to India’s biggest sporting event. About Rs 50,000 crore are being spent collectively by the Central government and Delhi government on the Games to be held in Delhi in October. “It would have been better if the government had shown this kind of seriousness towards controlling price rise, which could have given relief to common men,” Yadav said. Contending that footpaths and squares are being reconstructed “without any requirement”, he apprehended that “many scams will surface once the Commonwealth Games are over.” “All this talk of developing Delhi is a farce as the reconstruction work is confined to only New Delhi, which is already well-maintained. Talk of beautifying entire Delhi is hollow as nothing is being done in East Delhi or Old Delhi,” the JD(U) leader argued. Yadav attacked Congress over the issue saying, “the ruling party on the one hand talks of austerity drive but on the other is allowing such gross misuse and wastate of money.” He questioned utility of “this entire show when the common people of the country are finding it very difficult to survive due to constant price rise.” Aiyar, while describing the Games as a “tamasha” (drama), had alleged that the way India bagged the Games was nothing less than a bribe. He maintained that the money spent on the Games could have been better utilised for anti-poverty and welfare programmes. Congress has already snubbed Aiyar, saying the party supports the Games. PTI