New Delhi, July 27: Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi labelled Mani Shankar Aiyar ‘anti national’ for wishing that the Commonwealth Games are ‘spoilt’.
Aiyar, who as a sports minister was a known critic of the Commonwealth Games and even had continuous run-ins with Kalmadi, maintained that the huge amount of money spent on Commonwealth Games could have been better used to train young athletes for international sporting events.
“Personally, I will be unhappy if the Commonwealth Games are successful,” Aiyar, a nominated Rajya Sabha member, told reporters outside parliament on Tuesday.
“I am very happy with the rains, firstly it will ensure a good agriculture for the country and secondly it will ensure that the Commonwealth Games are spoilt,” Aiyar said. “Just imagine, if we would have spent the Rs.35,000 crore ($7 billion) in providing training to the children, we would have won medals at every international sporting event,” Aiyar added.
Kalmadi retorted saying that had Aiyar continued as the sports minister, India could never have hosted the Games. “The Games are possible only because MS Gill is the sports minister. Had Mani Shankar Aiyar continued to be sports minister, the Games would not have happened at all. Gill has done a remarkable job since he has taken over,” Kalmadi said during the inauguration of the remodelled Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
Later, talking to reporters, Kalmadi said: “He (Aiyar) is anti-national. When everyone is looking forward to the Commonwealth Games, he is going around wishing the Games are spoilt.” (IANS)
