Commonwealth Games probe begins; PM orders action against guilty

NEW DELHI: With the Commonwealth Games behind it, the government on Friday night ordered a probe into allegations of corruption in the organising of the mega event. A PMO communique said the Prime Minister has asked a panel headed by former CAG V K Shunglu to hold the inquiry.

A clear indication that the government would walk the talk on identifying those guilty of wrongdoing came when the sports secretary shot off a letter to the Organising Committee, on Thursday, asking it not to relieve its officials till further orders. This, sources said, was to ensure that they are available for questioning by agencies that would be probing specific corruption charges.

That the top government leadership was unhappy with the Organising Committee (OC) was evident when chairman Suresh Kalmadi was not invited for a felicitation ceremony that the Prime Minister held for Indian athletes who won medals at the Games this evening.

Since the event had attracted adverse media attention not only within the country but also outside, the government leadership was against taking a lenient view of the OC’s misdemeanours in the run up to the Games.

It be recalled that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had told a meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) that those found guilty would not be spared. “I trust that as soon as the Games are over, the government will look into allegations of malpractice and spare no one found to be involved in them,” Ms Gandhi had said.

On Friday morning, external affairs minister SM Krishna, who was interacting with a group of reporters, reiterated the point. “Whatever has been said, I think the 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 marred India’s image.

That the Opposition would keep up pressure on the government to act was evident when BJP said that it was now time to probe the cases of corruption. With Parliament session barely three weeks away, the Opposition can be expected to raise the issue once again.

Trouble is already brewing for the government as the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, headed by Mr Murli Manohar Joshi, is ready with a report indicting government agencies involved in the execution of projects.

The panel had wanted to present its report before the commencement of the event but Congress members prevailed upon the chairman to hold till the event’s completion.