Kalmadi again slams Dikshit

NEW DELHI - Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, again slammed Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and asked her to set her “house in order” before pointing fingers at the organising committee.

“I have kept quiet all along because my interest was to deliver a good Games but that should not be seen as a sign of weakness. Now that the Games are over, I shall speak out. I have already replied to Ms. Dikshit that set your own house in order before pointing fingers at us,” Kalmadi was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN.

“She had a budget of Rs.16,000 crore for construction-related work and I had nothing to do with it. My budget was Rs.1,600 crore. I was not part of the construction work. She has to answer a lot for that,” Kalmadi said.

“Everybody criticised me for the foot over-bridge collapse (near the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium), but that was not my business. The Delhi government and the Public Works Department (PWD) have to answer for that,” he added. “When the Prime Minister has ordered a probe, she (Dikshit) doesn’t have to say anything.”

Kalmadi said despite a negative press worldwide, Indian can still dream of hosting the Olympics.

“The whole world feels we should hold the Olympics. International Olympic Committee Chairman Jacques Rogge was impressed with the Commonwealth Games and wants India to host the Olympics. But we shall make an announcement only after the cloud over CWG is over.

“We will have to take the government into confidence. We are ready for it and definitely we will bid for the Olympics,” he said.