The opposition, especially the BJP, finally got its act together on Tuesday as it mounted a concerted campaign against the UPA government following the CAG report on the mess that was the Commonwealth Games. This campaign was led in the Lok Sabha by veteran leader Yashwant Sinha, in Rajya Sabha by Arun Jaitley, while party president Nitin Gadkari too did his bit, addressing a rally in the capital.

Slugfest in LS over CAG report on CWG

(PTI) The CAG report on the Commonwealth Games mess led to a slugfest in the Lok Sabha today with the Opposition alleging involvement of the PMO and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and the Congress casting doubts on the role and authority of the government auditor.

"Who is Suresh Kalmadi? Who brought him to the Lok Sabha? And now after Kalmadi has landed in Tihar Jail, he is being projected as a BJP man," BJP member Yashwant Sinha said, ridiculing the Congress' attempts to paint the Congress member from Pune as the 'villan' of the CWG mess.

A special discussion on the issue saw CPI(M) leader Basudeb Acharia also pinpointing the blame on the PMO and Dikshit, maintaining that they cannot go scot free.

Disputing the government's claim that the appointment of Kalmadi as Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee was made during the NDA rule, Acharia wondered whether there was no way out for the UPA government to change the decision.

"If there was no way out except to make Kalmadi the Chairman of the Organising Committee (OC), then how come the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) also opined that Kalmadi be made the Chairman of the OC," he posed.

The appointment of Kalmadi was made with the full knowledge of the Prime Minister, Acharia said questioning that if it was not binding on the government, why Kalmadi was made the Chairman.

The occasion was utilised by Manish Tewari (Cong) who opened the innings on behalf of the Congress to target the CAG questioning its right to go into the policy decisions of the government, including key appointments. .

BJP puts PM in firing line on Kalmadi''s appointment

(PTI) BJP today attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for appointment of disgraced Suresh Kalmadi as Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee and charged Sports Minister Ajay Maken with committing "monumental deception" on Parliament.

Initiating a short duration discussion on Maken's statement on August 3 regarding the CWG, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh overruled objections by the Sports Ministry and his own office and favoured Kalmadi's appointment as OC Chairman.

Demanding that all documents and files in this regard be brought before the House, Jaitley said while the effort was to stop the buck at Kalmadi, responsibility lies both with the Central and statement governments. "....none of them should be spared."

He also said if "heads are to roll", heads of the state (Delhi) government and the Centre must also roll.

Jaitley said Maken is giving an impression as if the hands of the UPA were tied in the OC chief's appointment because of the Host City Contract signed during the NDA regime.

Complimenting former Sports Minister M S Gill, Jaitley said, "Former ministers are the best witnesses. House has to take extraordinary steps...all files and documents which have been withheld should be summoned and inspected in the House."

He said former sports ministers acted as whistle blowers.

Amid clashes between the Congress and the BJP, the House had to be adjourned twice before lunch as ruling party members demanded apology from the opposition party for raising slogans against UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan also objected to the name calling.

Jaitley alleged that the bid document which culminated into the contract for the CWG was changed.

Noting that the bid document was signed in May 2003 and converted into a contract in November 2003, he said, "In September 2004, an updated bid document surfaces in the files - the first fraud. It surfaces in 2004 but the date printed is December 2003...If a document enters Government files, somebody has to endorse it. There is no endorsement."

The BJP leader wondered that when the bid was accepted in November in 2003 and culminated in a binding agreement, how could IOA revise its bid in December.

He said that he has also checked it from former Sports Minister Vikram Verma (NDA), who said he did not remember that the bid document was ever updated.

Jaitley said the document was slipped in the files to ensure that the OC went into private hands. Kalmadi then wrote a letter to the Prime Minister saying he wanted to be associated with the Games on which even the Cabinet Secretary wrote a note, he said.

He also said that the then Sports Minister late Sunil Dutt was told that he would be the Chairman of the OC but later he realised something else was going to happen and complained to the Prime Minister that the documents, including minutes were tampered with.

Jaitley said that all these facts were hidden from the House.

He said while each officer of the PMO said the minister should be the Chairman of the OC, the Prime Minister made a note on December 6, 2004 which talked of an Organizing Committee and an Executive Board responsible for conduct of Games "to be chaired by Suresh Kalmadi."

Cong not asking Dikshit to step down to save PM: BJP

(PTI) Attacking the Congress on the CWG issue, the BJP today alleged that the ruling party was "hesitant" in asking Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit to step down as the Prime Minister would be next in line.

"The Prime Minister should answer why (Suresh) Kalmadi was appointed chief of the Organising Committee despite objections raised by Sports Ministers," BJP president Nitin Gadkari said addressing a rally here.

Demanding resignation of Delhi Chief Minister in the wake of the CAG citing irregularities in certain Commonwealth Games projects, he said,

"Congress is hesitant in asking Dikshit to step down as after her it will be the turn of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh."

Gadkari said, "I want to ask Sonia Gandhi why action is not being taken against Sheila Dikshit despite her stating publicly that all those involved in corruption will be punished."

The BJP has targeted the Prime Minister after Sports Minister Ajay Maken, in a suo motu statement on the CWG, had put the blame on the BJP-led opposition for appointment of Kalmadi as Organising Committee chief.

With CAG report stating that Kalmadi was appointed CWG Organising Committee chief based on a PMO recommendation, Maken had said on Friday that he was elected to the post by the IOA as per the Host City Contract approved by the NDA regime and "there was no scope for any change".

Furore in LS; Oppn targets Sheila on CWG mess

(PTI) An aggressive opposition created furore in the Lok Sabha for the second day today demanding resignation of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in the wake of CAG pointing fingers at her in the CWG mess.

The House saw two adjournments as opposition members, especially those from BJP, stormed the well raising slogans against Dikshit, accusing her of corruption in the Commonwealth Games projects.

Members of the Samajwadi Party also trooped into the well demanding the dismissal of the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh over alleged atrocities against farmers and fake encounters in the state.

Amid vociferous slogan-shouting, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till 2 PM after the laying of papers. Lok Sabha was earlier adjourned till noon almost immediately after it assembled for the day.

BJP and Shiv Sena members raised slogans 'Ab toh yeh spasht hai, Sheila Dikshit Bhrasht hai (now it is clear, Sheila Dikshit is corrupt) and 'Shiela Dikshit resign, resign'.

A similar situation prevailed in the Rajya Sabha soon after it assembled at 11 PM, with Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourning the House till noon. The Upper House later took up a debate on the issue.

To counter the opposition attack, some Congress members stood up holding posters alleging cost overrun and overpayment for projects in BJP-ruled Gujarat. Ansari asked them not to display banners.