Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken Sunday reiterated that sacked
Commonwealth Games chief Suresh Kalmadi, who is facing graft charges,
should not attend the London Olympics and asked the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) raise the issue with the international athletics body
(IAAF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Maken asserted Kalmadi must not go to London unless he was cleared of the corruption charges against him.
"I
have asked the IOA to speak to the IAAF (International Association of
Athletics Federation) and IOC and explain them the fact Kalmadi is
facing serious corruption charges. He will not be part of any official
delegation from India whether it is the IOA or the sports ministry,"
Maken told reporters here a day after Kalmadi said that he had every
right to go to the Olympics as he was not proved guilty of the charges
in connection with the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Saturday, Kalmadi
had lashed out at Maken for objecting to his London trip when he was
invited by the IAAF to attend a meeting as its council member. The
tainted sports administrator went on to the extent of saying that Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh should ask for Maken's resignation following his
comments against him.
Reacting to Kalmadi's statement, Maken
said: "Kalmadi is someone who is facing serious charges of corruption by
the CBI and has also been suspended by Congress Party. He has no morale
right to ask for my resignation."
