New Delhi:
The audacious corruption cultivated by the Commonwealth Games has irked the Supreme Court. In particular, the court is livid about the pedestrian bridge that collapsed near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium earlier this month, just days after it was completed.
"In this country, payments are made without work being done. Newly constructed bridge collapsed like a pack of cards. 70,000 crores are involved. There is rampant corruption in the country. We cannot shut our eyes. Till October 15, Common wealth is a public purpose - thereafter, everything will become private purpose," observed the court.
The comments came during a case that establishes that the government has violated laws aimed at preserving the historic Jantar Mantar monument in the capital. A part of the building of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Parliament Street falls within 100 metres of the monument.
The construction has been objected to by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which has also pointed out that other buildings have been allowed to come up far too close to Jantar Mantar.
Slamming the NDMC, the Supreme Court thundered, " How mindless and lawless are you? No regard for history, no regard for constitution. There is a totally unethical government with no moral values. Money is the only thing that matters. Why don't you convert Jantar Mantar into a hotel or a mall and India will shine?"