This Article is From Aug 09, 2011

CWG mess: BJP now targets Sonia

CWG mess: BJP now targets Sonia
New Delhi: There is war over the Commonwealth Games and the report of the government's auditor on it. In Parliament, where heated words were exchanged between the Opposition and the Treasury benches in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouting slogans against Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleging that she had a role in appointing Suresh Kalmadi as chief of the Commonwealth Games organising committee.

And outside Parliament, at Jantar Mantar, where the BJP's youth workers clashed with the police. The BJP workers jumped a barricade to proceed towards Parliament House. The police struggled to bring the crowd under control using a lathicharge, water cannons and tear gas shells. The protestors threw what they could find back at the police. (Watch: BJP men jump barricades, clash with police)

Both Houses of Parliament saw angry and noisy protests from the Congress when the BJP named Mrs Gandhi. The furore - during a debate on Sports Minister Ajay Maken's statement that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government was responsible for the appointment of Mr Kalmadi - forced repeated adjournment of the Upper House for a while. A BJP MP made a derogatory remark and the Congress was up in arms demanding an apology. The MP had to apologise.

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow.

The BJP has alleged, both in Parliament today and outside, that Mr Kalmadi's appointment had Sonia Gandhi's blessings. Outside, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said, "The road goes from (Sheila) Dikshit to Manmohan (Singh) and then to Sonia Gandhi's house."

The BJP produced a letter written by Mr Kalmadi, in 2007, to the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary TKA Nair. In the letter, Mr Kalmadi had said that the chairmanship of the Organising Committee to Suresh Kalmadi and the rest of the board was created after a series of discussions with the PMO, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Government of India.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley said the prime minister had gone ahead with the selection of Mr Kalmadi even though the sports ministry and bureaucrats in his own office had recommended against it. But he said about the BJP MPs remark, "We have been having a debate on important people, there will be references, I am one with entire House there should not be any inappropriate remarks for any leader, in this case the UPA chairperson. It should be deleted," Mr Jaitley said, adding, "We are all conscious of the fact that the chairperson is recovering from an illness. We wish her all the best."

In the Lok Sabha, the BJP's Yashwant Sinha asked, "If the NDA appointed Kalmadi, why did you not remove him?" The strategy of the government was to blame everything on the Opposition, Mr Sinha said, saying, "Suresh Kalmadi is a Congress MP...He became a BJP member when he went to Tihar?"

Mr Sinha contended that in no government document is it mentioned that Mr Kalmadi was appointed by the NDA. Mr Kalmadi is charged with corruption in CWG projects and is in jail.

The BJP has lashed out at Mr Maken saying that his statement misled Parliament. The party is leaving no stone unturned in its attack and led the Opposition in saying that the buck did not stop with Mr Kalmadi and that more heads must roll.

Mr Yashwant Sinha said, "Everybody is guilty...not just Kalmadi." In the other House, Mr Arun Jaitley said, "The Commonwealth Games was a monumental deception. If heads are to roll then it must be heads of this government."

The Opposition has also stepped up the chorus of "Sheila Dikshit must go." (Watch: BJP takes on Govt in Parliament, demands Sheila's ouster)

Outside Parliament, at its main gate, barricades were erected and security alerted as BJP protesters gathered to demand the ouster of the Delhi Chief Minister, who has been faulted by the government's auditor for overspending.

Earlier in the morning, that demand for Mrs Dikshit's removal led to an uproar and adjournment of both the Lok and the Rajya Sabha. Proceedings first resumed in the Rajya Sabha post noon, and the government agreed to a limited debate on Union Sports Minister Mr Ajay Maken's statement in the Lok Sabha last week that Mr Kalmadi had been appointed the head of the Games organising committee during the NDA regime. The Lok Sabha subsequently reconvened at 2 pm.

Outside, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kuman Bansal, questioned the BJP's tactics. "Unfortunately, again, they (BJP) have disrupted the House and not let the Question Hour be taken up. There was a basic understanding that the legislative body must run smoothly. Today we saw a sudden change in the BJP's stance. It raises genuine doubts in our mind whether they are serious about dialogue.''

The Congress is standing behind Mrs Dikshit, and says the CAG report - which claims there was mass corruption in the organisation of the Games - should be first cleared by a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament.
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