The NDA on Monday gave separate privilege notices in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha against Sports Minister Ajay Maken’s statement on the Commonwealth Games.
Mr. Maken, in a suo motu statement on the CWG, had put the blame on the BJP-led opposition for appointment of Suresh Kalmadi as CWG Organising Committee chief.
The decision to move the notices was taken by NDA leaders at a meeting chaired by senior BJP leader L.K. Advani. The NDA decided in case their notice was rejected, they would not allow the two Houses to function. The NDA is seeking a debate on the matter, after suspension of question hour.
While Mr. Yashwant Sinha would move the privilege notice in the Lok Sabha, Mr. S.S. Ahluwalia would move the notice in the Rajya Sabha.
With CAG report stating that Mr. Kalmadi was appointed CWG Organising Committee chief based on a PMO recommendation, Mr. Maken had said on Friday that he was elected to the post by the IOA as per the Host City Contract approved by the NDA regime and “there was no scope for any change“.
Mr. Maken had also rejected a suggestion that the decision to appoint Mr. Kalmadi as OC chairman facilitated the conversion of the originally envisaged government-run OC into a body outside government control.
In a statement, Mr. Maken had said that as per the Host City Contract signed on November 13, 2003 by the IOA, Delhi’s Lt Governor and the then Sports Secretary, it was the Commonwealth Games Association -- IOA in case of India -- which was to establish the OC to organise the Games.
“The Cabinet of the NDA government, in a decision taken on September 11, 2003, had also agreed to underwrite any shortfall between revenue and expenditure of OC,” the statement said.
After the NDA meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “We seek the ouster of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. We will not allow Parliament to function. She should go.” The CAG, in its report, has indicted Delhi chief minister for the Commonwealth Games Scam.
Later, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said, “We are seeking the suspension of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha. We want a debate in the House on Maken’s statement made on the Commonwealth Games. We will also seek a discussion on the CAG report on CWG, in which Sheila Dikshit has been indicted.” Those present at the meeting included Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, NDA convener and JDU president Sharad Yadav, Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi and SAD Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral.
