Faced with mounting pressure to drop his Olympic trip to London, a defiant Suresh Kalmadi on Saturday hit back at Ajay Maken, accusing the Sports Minister of carrying out a vilification campaign against him and called for his resignation.
Mr. Kalmadi, who was allowed by a Delhi court to travel to London for the Olympics, said it was unbecoming of Mr. Maken to react in such a way against the court’s decision and requested the Prime Minister to ask for his resignation.
“I was quite shocked and dismayed to read Ajay Maken’s reaction to the Honorable Court’s decision to grant me permission to visit London for the forthcoming Olympic Games.
In view of Mr Maken going against the court decision, which is quite unbecoming of a sports minister I request our prime minister to ask for Mr Maken’s resignation for making such comments and statements,” Mr. Kalmadi said at a press conference.
Mr. Kalmadi accused Mr. Maken of interfering in the functioning of Sports Federations and causing “groupism” which will ultimately affect the performance of sportspersons in the Olympics.
“Mr. Maken threatening Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that he would try to ensure that I was not part of the Indian delegation, shows lack of knowledge about the functioning of autonomous sports bodies.
“I am attending the IAF meeting coinciding with the London Olympics as a Council Member of the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) and president of Asian Athletic Association. I don’t need any support from the Sports Ministry,” said Mr. Kalmadi, who is currently on bail after spending nearly a year in Tihar jail following the CWG scandal.
“Therefore, the union sports minister’s charges that my participation in Olympics will kill the basic spirit of Olympics, shows Mr Maken’s total disregard to the spirit of the games,” he added.
Mr. Kalmadi said that he was innocent till proven guilty and it was unfair for people to raise questions about his travel to London on the invitation of international athletics body.
“All said and done, Mr Maken seems to forget that it was in my tenure as IOA president that India bagged maximum number of medals in both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. The Commonwealth Games Federation had stated in its report that the Delhi Commonwealth Games was the best games ever.
“I have been elected unanimously to the IOA three times, it shows the faith of the sports body. As per law I am innocent till found guilty. In my bail application it has been clearly stated in the Honorable High Court that no financial trail has been proved against me. No allegation of corruption has been proved,” insisted Kalmadi.
Mr. Kalmadi said Mr. Maken’s sustained interference in the functioning of the National Sports Federation was creating problems in the smooth functioning of sports in the country, and causing groupism which will ultimately affect the performance of sports persons in Olympics.
“At a time when Indian sports is on the upsurge due to the combined efforts of National Sports Federations, coaches, sportspersons any interference by the sports ministry in the training programmes of sportspersons will only result in adversely affecting the performance of our participants in the Games.
“I strongly feel that this vilification campaign raised by Maken is meant to cause a split between officials and Indian players participating in the forthcoming London Olympics.
“This is the first time India stands a good chance of securing maximum honours and any attempt to sow seeds of doubts in the players mind at this stage is uncalled for,” said Mr. Kalmadi.
“Maken seems to forget that I have been granted the court’s permission to visit London for the Games from July 28 to August 13, at the invitation from IAAF Council.”
Keywords: Suresh Kalmadi, Ajay Maken, London 2012, London Olympics 2012,
This Kalmadi has been able to fix the court to get permission to travel to London Olympics. This can happen only in courts in India, where cases of politicians is taken up by courts in a jiffy, whereas a common man's case takes 20 years to be heard. Repeated requests to judges fall on deaf ears.
What gall really ! Kalmadi should be behind bars breaking stones with other convicted prisoners. On the contrary he demands he be sent to grace the Olympics all expenses covered ? What planet does he live on or should I rather ask - what weed have you been smoking buddy - I want some of that too !
Why do not you resign from IOC?
what to comment.
court is allowed this man based on their legal proceedings... This crook
who grabbed tax payers money and sitting there like a king for so many
years..........should not be released from jail. If he goes with the
team it will be a shame for india
Really? So Kalmadi thinks that he is so indispensable that his presence
or the lack of it will affect our players' confidence and scuttle our
chances? The guy was arrested by the CBI, shunted out from public life
and he still thinks that he is a god of some kind who injected success
into the Indian sports arena? He was accused by a former captain of our
hockey team as a "sports mafia". If he has any shame, he will stay put
in India.
Mr Kalmadi should realise that the positions he is holding in the
various Associations came his way because he is a public figure/
person. When the same public is suspecting him of financial
misdemeanours and he is in the process of being tried by the courts,
this gentleman should have the sense to respect the feelings of the
public at large and not indulge in this travel. He should realise
that this Nation has lost faith in him and suspects him to be a crook.
The country may have won a large number of medals during his tenure at
the helm of sports affairs, but that doesn't detract from the fact
that large sums of moneys have been spent on sports from the public
exchequer and this gentleman is suspected to have helped himself to
these very funds.
Incredible India. Culprits (supposedly innocent he proved guilty which may take years courtsey our system and agencies) calling the shots against some of the most honest persons. Courts are supreme, no doubt, but it leaves one wondering how can an accused be a allowed to represent the nation (he may travel abroad and watch the games but should not represent the nation), how can a rape accused (Sajal Jain) be granted bail, how can the rapists and murderers be pardoned while the mercy petitions of terrorists is kept pending. Wasn't the queue jumped? But who are we to ask these questions? We are mere mortals and the ruling class, regardless of the party affiliation, is a separate class with a different set of rules who have their own definition of poverty and reasonable toilets.
Hon. Minister Ajay Maken is an honest person and a straightforward
gentleman as per our observation since he took charge while the other
person in news is a culprit and a criminal by all standards, so he has
no moral right to speak about the Minister. As for the court, granting
him bail is nothing new as some courts are allowing bail to cutthroart
and chronic criminals and lawbreakers as there are also allegations of
some judges receiving huge bribes for that purpose as reported in all
the media for everyone including all the sitting as well as retired
judges to see. Peculiar India and Strange Indians !
all tainted ministers should resign from professional bodies be it sports or arts or entertainment etc. Let them prove their innocence and get back their post. Shame on them
The only minister in UPA who is trying to make a difference is Mr Maken.
Its so pathetic and I pity on Mr Kalmadi. Mr kalmadi feel better (get
well soon)
Mr Kalamadi mentions the various positions he holds as if they came to him due to some talent or quality inherent to him. Actually, he reached those positions merely as a representative of India, the nation. Now that his true talents have been exposed, it would be better if he shut up and faded away.
Even those with completely clean records find applying for and receiving a UK visa quite an ordeal. Has Mr Kalmadi received a visa despite having spent a year in Tihar jail? His defiant attitude seems to suggest so!
Even if court gives permission, won't this man think of self-respect?
with what face he would go around in Olympics? He lacks dignity in public life1
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