White House gatecrash fallout: 2010 US-India Polo match cancelled
India today cancelled its participation in the 2010 Polo Cup World Championship, which was to be organised by Virginia couple Tareq and Michaele Salahi, who gatecrashed into the White House state dinner last week hosted in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"We have decided to terminate it," Indian Embassy spokesman Rahul Chhabra said referring to the India vs US match in the America's Polo Cup.
A communication in this regard was sent to the Salahis.
The match was scheduled to take place on June 11 and June 12 at the prestigious National Mall in Washington.
The Salahis, who have been asked to appear before a Congressional committee tomorrow, have denied they entered into the White House uninvited when US President Barack Obama hosted state dinner for Singh.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, however, said that no invitation was issued to the Salaihs for the state dinner.
Meanwhile, the White House said following the gate crash event last week, a review of entire process has been taken now a staff member representing the Social Secretary's Office would be deployed at security check points to avoid the repeat of such a gate crash.
"That was based on an assessment and a review of our procedures made by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina," Gibbs said in response to a question.
The couple had celebrated the announcement of the Polo Cup at the embassy Sep 9. The event's website boasts Landrover, Ritz Carlton and St Regis hotels as sponsors for the 2010 event. But the alleged sponsors told Fox News that's wrong and they are all demanding their logos be removed from the website.
The couple was expected to face tough questions before the House Homeland Security Committee Thursday, but they declined that invitation late Wednesday. Their publicist released a statement saying the Salahis had already provided information to lawmakers.
The committee chairman has threatened to subpoena the couple. If they are indeed summoned it will be the first time in seven years that a witness has been subpoenaed to appear.
The Secret Service has acknowledged that the Salahis got into the Nov 24 dinner because its security procedures at a checkpoint were not followed.
The couple insisted in a TV interview that they were invited to the dinner. But e-mails between the Salahis and a friend who works at the Pentagon show they had tried to obtain an invitation but never were cleared to attend the exclusive party.
In a statement released Wednesday night through their spokeswoman, "the Salahis said that they felt they had provided all relevant information to the committee and there is nothing further that they can do to assist Congress in its inquiry regarding White House protocol and certain security procedures. They therefore respectfully decline to testify."
Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan will testify, but the White House has rejected an invitation extended to Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, who was in charge of the guest list, potentially setting up a battle over whether to issue a subpoena to her.
