Sheila Dikshit rescues Kalmadi

Commonwealth Games chief organiser mobbed by media

Is Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee, finally buckling under the enormous pressure of holding the mega sporting event?


Love all: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Urban Development
Minister S Jaipal Reddy and C'wealth Games organising committee chief
Suresh Kalmadi at the opening of R K Khanna Tennis Stadium in New Delhi
on Monday. PIC/IMTIYAZ KHAN

Known as a complete authoritarian, the Member of Parliament (MP) Monday surprised one and all who had gathered to witness the handing over of RK Khanna Tennis Stadium to the Organising Committee when he ran for cover when mobbed by the media over remarks by hockey legend Pargat Singh.

The former hockey captain had called Kalmadi "the dirty face" of Indian sports, accusing him of destroying the institutions of Olympics and Indian hockey. Singh also added that people like Kalmadi should be thrown out of Indian sports.

Pargat's anguish had given enough ammunition to the media that waited eagerly with its volley of questions to fire at Kalmadi. He had managed to put up a brave face so far, but Monday was different for Kalmadi. He ran for cover when journalists started asking him questions about Pargat Singh's remarks. His saviour in this hour of crisis came in the form of Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

Escaping from the questions of the mediapersons, Kalmadi almost sprinted towards the main gate of RK Khanna Tennis Stadium but to his disappointment his official car was missing from the spot. But luck favoured him and he asked for a lift from Dikshit, when he saw her cavalcade returning after visiting the complex.

Chasing reporters also heard him informing Dikshit: "They are asking questions on Pargat." Within a minute Kalmadi was inside the safety of Dikshit's official car and left the venue smiling at the reporters and cameramen.u00a0

Safe than sorry
With the Games little more than a month away social activists in the Capital are planning to launch a fresh campaign against drunken driving in the city. Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) has planned to launch a fresh campaign, 'Delhi for Responsible Driving' to prevent the incidents of drunken driving and related cases of road rage.
The activists would organise music, art and fashion festivals along with a mobile team of students who would visit major traffic intersections in the city to carry their campaign. According to CADD, annually 2,000 people are killed and about 12,000 accidents are caused on Delhi's roads, out of which, a staggering 65 per cent are due to alcohol consumption.