New Delhi:
After Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken accused former sports minister Mani Shanker Aiyar of playing a "malicious" and ''obstructionist role'' in the Commonwealth Games projects resulting in cost escalation, Mani Shankar Aiyar has hit back.
Speaking on NDTV's show
Politically Incorrect on Friday, Mr Aiyar raised doubts about whether Maken had even composed this letter himself, as the words used didn't sound like his own. In fact, Mr Aiyar also made a rather disparaging comment on Ajay Maken's college as well.
"I have written a letter to him (Mr Maken) this morning asking him to authenticate the newspaper reports or to send me an authentic copy of his letter to the Prime Minister. Mr Aiyar said. He added, "He (Maken) used the world 'dichotomous.' I am very impressed that in Hansraj College they know the meaning of words like this.''
Mr Aiyar was reacting to a note Mr Maken had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh targeting the former sports minister. In the letter Mr Maken also accused Mr Aiyar of doing everything he could to "scuttle India's bid for the Asian Games.''
The bid conducted in 2007, during Mr Aiyar's tenure as sport minister, was for the 2014 Asian Gamses in New Delhi. Suresh Kalmadi had then termed India's failure to host the Games as a ''victory'' for Mr Aiyar.