Kalmadi hits back at Sheila: OC won't be scapegoat now, look at your own depts

An open war broke out between the leading lights of the Commonwealth Games today, with Suresh Kalmadi hitting back at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Kalmadi declared he would not want the Organising Committee, which he chaired, to be the "scapegoats any more."

Kalmadi's ire was promoted by Dikshit's comments yesterday that the "suspicion" of corruption in the just-concluded mega sporting event is on the Games Organising Committee (OC). The "real corruption seems to be with regard to the money given as loans (to the OC)," she had said. The Central government had given loans to the tune of Rs 1,600 crore.

Slamming Dikshit, Kalmadi said her aspersions of corruption in the OC were "most disappointing and uncalled for" and that she must indulge in self-reflection on corruption in her own departments.

In a hard-hitting statement, Kalmadi said his silence should not be interpreted as a "sign of weakness". "But, on Dussehra, I owe it to the OC that we speak out,” he said.