Actual Queen’s Baton brought to us: Sahara (Night Lead)

LUCKNOW - In a fresh twist, Sahara officials said Saturday that it was the actual Queen’s Baton for the Commonwealth Games and not a replica that was twice brought to group chief Subroto Roy’s private estate during its stay in Lucknow.

Even as Lucknow district officials said it was a replica that was taken to the 150-acre Sahara Shahr estate by three members of the relay committee without permission, Sahara corporate communications chief Abhijeet Sarkar said the actual Queen’s Baton was taken to Sahara Shahr, both on its arrival and departure from Lucknow.

Sahara officials also claimed that the privilege was extended by none other than Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi, in recognition of all that Roy has done “to promote sports in the country”.

Describing Roy as “the biggest patron of sports in India”, Sarkar also noted that he was also chairman of the protocol sub-committee of the Commonwealth Games.

According to Sarkar: “Yesterday (Friday), the Organising Committee Relay members called on Subroto Roy Sahara in the evening with the Baton, which they had brought along with them. Today (Saturday) in the spirit of the relay, the baton was again brought to Sahara Shahr by the committee members, amidst all necessary protocol and was then taken back.”

Earlier, senior officials said that they planned to take legal action against Sahara for disrespecting the Queen’s Baton but later backtracked, blaming three members of the baton relay committee for the controversy.

“Now it has come to the fore that Raj Kadyan, Shruti Menon and Alka Lamba were at fault. They had breached the norms and carried the baton to the Sahara Shahr,” Lucknow District Magistrate Anil Sagar told reporters.

While Kadyan, a retired lieutenant general, is the head of the Queen’s Baton Relay committee, Lamba is an advisor and Menon a project officer in the committee, officials said, adding they will ask the central government to initiate action against the trio, “who are primarily responsible for the entire confusion and controversy”.

Asked whether any action would be initiated against Sahara as was earlier announced, Sagar replied: “As of now, no case has been made out against them (Sahara officials)”. He declined to elaborate.

The three members, who held closed door meetings with government officials at the district magistrate’s residence for around three hours, later admitted their fault before media persons and also tendered a written apology to the administration.

“Yes, we admit our fault…It happened due to some communication gap between us,” Kadyan said, adding they should have taken the district administration’s permission.

“We carried the baton to Subroto Roy’s Sahara Shahr not because he is the chairman of Sahara India, but as the chairman of our protocol subcommittee… a member of our family (baton relay committee).”

Kadyan claimed it was for the first time the replica of the baton was taken to a private establishment.

According to officials, Sahara officials at around 12.15 a.m. Friday had approached the district administration to give them permission to welcome the baton at a function in Sahara Shahr.

“We made it very clear that the permission could not be granted at the last moment and that all the proceedings related to relay were finalised,” said Sagar.

According to officials, after the customary relay run ended and the baton was proceeding towards Rae Bareli district, five vehicles that were a part of the official relay diverted from the prescribed route.

“A team of district administration officials and the police followed the vehicles and found that some people alighted from the five vehicles and reached Sahara Shahr in private vehicles. These people carried the replica of the baton to Sahara Shahr,” said an official.

Meanwhile, the baton has reached its next destination - Rae Bareli, Sagar said.

The baton reached Lucknow Friday and was handed over to the state Olympic association general secretary Anandeshwar Pandey, senior government officials and public representatives at Itaunja town.

The baton will touch around 19 districts in two phases. It will reach Bihar Tuesday and re-enter Uttar Pradesh from Jhansi district July 19, officials said.

The baton has travelled nearly 170,000 km through nearly 70 Commonwealth countries before arriving in India for the Games Oct 3-14 in New Delhi.