There was a heated exchange of words between Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and Committee member and BJP leader Vijay Goel at its annual general meeting here on Monday. Mr. Goel later alleged that he had been expelled by the Committee chairman for raising concerns about the preparations of the Games at public forums.
Mr. Goel said he was not allowed by Mr. Kalmadi at the meeting to raise the issue of delay in preparations and accountability on the ground that he had already voiced it all before the media and had also demonstrated in public by organising a run in the Capital on Sunday.
“When I insisted on speaking, Mr. Kalmadi announced that he has decided to expel me from the Organising Committee. It may be noted that I was Union Minister of State for Sports when India had bid for and got the Commonwealth Games 2010,’’ he said.
Reacting to the incident, Mr. Goel said as a public person he had been voicing the apprehension that there was something wrong about the Games preparations and his expulsion now clearly showed that there was something that the Organising Committee was trying to hide.
“More so it shows the autocratic style of functioning of the Congress of which Mr. Kalmadi is a member too,’’ he charged.
Mr. Goel said it was strange that even in Parliament members who dissent are allowed to speak and air their views outside in public but a sports body has refused to allow discussion on the issue of accountability.
