BJP, opposition rubbishes raids on Kalmadi, aide residences

NEW DELHI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other opposition parties on Friday rubbished the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) raids on the residences of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CWG) chairman Suresh Kalmadi and his aide in New Delhi and Pune, describing it as an eyewash’ from the government.

“We are not very happy with this delayed raid, but would certainly expect a prompt, fair investigation and nabbing of the culprit as promised by the Prime Minister,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

“Why so much of a delay, why so much of documents being allowed to be misplaced deliberately. I think this explanation is required….so much delay in raiding the premises of Kalmadi, who almost became a disgrace for the country. It is a very sorry state of affairs,” he said, adding “None of the guilty should be spared including those who have given quick approval to the loot of public money”.

The Congress said the probe on Kalmadi had nothing to do with the Indian National Congress.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said, “I don’t believe that CBI works to any body’s agenda. The issue is that they are pursuing a particular inquiry, whatever work is being done, it is being conducted in accordance with that enquiry. We don’t expect the BJP the to understand how law takes course. Everything is a matter of political expediency for them”.

“It is not possible for an opposition party to dictate a time-frame in which an inquiry should be committed. All that the Prime Minister and government has said that the guilty will be brought to book and we have absolute confidence that this will be done,” she said.

Natarajan said, “Kalmadi has been the president of the Indian Olympic Association that has no relation to the membership of that party. We said on the first day that this really has nothing to do with the party nor is it of any concern to the party.”

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also raiding the residences of Kalmadi’s personal secretary Manoj Bhure in connection with alleged irregularities in the conduct of the Games.

The raids began at about 7 a.m. this morning when ten CBI sleuths simultaneously entered both the premises.

The raids are being carried out in the wake of reports that some crucial documents related to Commonwealth Games deals have gone missing.

Probe agencies claim that these documents could have been destroyed or hidden.

Sources had said that the key files, which contain important information on tendering, budgetary allocation and contract details, are missing from the (OC) office.

Central Bureau of Investigation officials have reportedly found sufficient evidence of criminal conspiracy by unknown OC officials in tampering with some documents and manipulating information in them.

They have made a list of documents that are said to be untraceable.

Cabinet Secretary K. Chandrashekhar has been apprised about the need to move out Kalmadi and his deputy Lalit Bhanot from their OC posts as they were proving to be a roadblock in the investigations.

The agency has so far filed three cases in connection with alleged Commonwealth Games irregularities.

Games officials V K Verma and Lalit Bhanot are accused in these cases.

While one case is related to an Rs.107-crore deal struck with a Swiss score-keeping firm, the agency had registered two other cases in connection with the contract given to AM Films for the Baton Relay ceremonies in London. (ANI)