Kalmadi sacked as CPP Secretary

Suresh Kalmadi became the most obvious casualty of the corruption allegations swirling the Congress, as the party on Tuesday decided to sack him as secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), headed by Sonia Gandhi.

Party sources are clear that Kalmadi was shown the exit as he faces serious corruption charges being at the helm of the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee.

The party had little choice but to give Kalmadi the boot a day before the beginning of the Parliament session since the opposition parties were planning major disruption to the session over his role in the alleged misappropriation of funds meant to conduct the Commonwealth games. “That Kalmadi has offered his resignation should stand alone. That should not connect with the Congress at all,” party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan told newsmen. Kalmadi is a Congress member of Lok Sabha from Pune.  

The party’s decision is no particular shock as it declined to give Kalmadi and others involved in the game’s organisation a clean chit soon after curtains were drawn on the games.

The fact that Kalmadi refused to quit as Chairman of Commonwealth Games Organisation Committee amid vociferous opposition demand to do so after the corruption allegations surfaced hardly helped his cause.

The decision, which comes after the AICC meeting in New Delhi, follows the severe criticism of the party by the opposition and the media for saying little over the scam involving its leaders.

Sports Minister M S Gill, Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit were among others involved in the preparations for the Games.