BJP wants Suresh Kalmadi's arrest; probe into Kanishka Singh's stakes

Expressing unhappiness over the pace of CBI investigations into alleged corruption in Commonwealth Games projects, BJP today demanded arrest of Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi and a probe into the stakes of Kanishka Singh, an aide of Rahul Gandhi, in the contracts.

"The way the CBI is conducting raids and arresting people...we think it is really not addressing the main and the core issues. They are going about it in a way in which..... the whole thing is probably being taken a bit easily," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She asked as to why Kalmadi had not been questioned or arrested yet by the CBI.

"We also seek an explanation about the role of Kanishka Singh, the secretary to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. We understand that Singh and his first cousins are very closely associated with Emmar MGF. We would like to know how and when they had received the contracts for the Commonwealth Games. And what exactly is the connection," she said.

The BJP leader maintained that Emaar MGF was the main group behind building of the Commonwealth Games Village and the party "would like to know and seek a clarification from the Congress General Secretary on the matter".

She also demanded Kalmadi's immediate arrest by the CBI.

"Investigation should really go into depths (with regard to Kalmadi). Arresting his two associates does not tell us much at all. And even they have been saying that much of the things which had happened, happened with the complete knowledge of Kalmadi. So he has to be questioned and answers sought from him," Sitharaman said.