New Delhi: The infighting in the Commonwealth
Games Organising Committee today took a more acrimonious turn
with BJP MP Vijay Goel accusing chairman Suresh Kalmadi of
"rampant corruption" and seeking Prime Minister's intervention
in the matter.
Goel, who claims to be have been expelled from the
organising committee, launched a scathing attack on Kalmadi,
alleging that he had an "autocratic and arrogant style of
working" and one who could not take criticism in the right
spirit.
The BJP leader, who had yesterday circulated an E-mail
about his purported expulsion, today sought to blow up the
issue further by formally calling a press conference were he
spoke about Kalmadi's alleged misdeeds.
Kalmadi, was however, not available for comments and
repeated calls to his office went unanswered.
A top OC official described Goel's outburst as baseless
and said Kalmadi will come out with a formal rejoinder
tomorrow.
"In the name of organising the Commonwealth Games Kalmadi
is engaging in corruption, there is no accountability as how
the money is spent. The budget has quadrupled in the last few
years and there is no transparency," Goel said.
Goel had claimed yesterday that Kalmadi decided to expel
him after a heated exchange when he tried to raise the issue
of delay in Commonwealth Games preparation and accountability
during the Annual General Body meeting of the OC here.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 08, 2009, 18:09