Guilty should be brought to book: Cong on CWG irregularities

"If at all there has been an alleged misappropriation and wrongful spending of government fund that obviously needs to be probed and people found responsible should be brought to book," party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters, adding that it has has been the consistent stand of the party.

He made it clear that the irregularities would not be glossed over after the conclusion of "successful and secure" conduct of the Games for which the credit should go to one billion Indians.

Replying to a specific question whether the party gives clean chit to anyone concerned with the Games, Tewari remarked, "we are not in the business of giving a clean or unclean chit to anyone."

His remark came in response to a question on whether the party was now absolving Suresh Kalamadi, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.
"I do not want to go into individuals," he said at the AICC briefing when asked whether the party was satisfied with the performance of Sports Minister M S Gill, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

Tewari's refrain was that the bodies charged with the responsibility of carrying audit of such expenses should discharge their duty to the satisfaction of the countrymen if there has been any lapse.

The AICC's response was in tune with party chief Sonia Gandhi's remarks at the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party on August 19 during which she had said, "I trust that as soon as the Games are over, the government will look into the allegations of malpractices and spare no one found involved."

Asked about the Delhi Chief Minister's contention that her government salvaged the situation at the last moment by working overtime just before the Commonwealth Games, Tiwari said, "It is because everyone contributed. The success was the result of collective efforts."

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna too has expressed confidence that the government would probe allegations of corruption.

"Whatever has been said, I think government will follow it up. That is government's function," he said when asked whether he felt that there should be a probe into allegations of corruption as they had marred India's image.

Against the backdrop of slew of charges of corruption and delays, the government had been saying that these could be probed after the event gets over.