BJP ups ante against Congress, drags PMO into C'Wealth Games scam

Main opposition party BJP sought to embarrass the UPA government at a media briefing on Tuesday by allegedly involving the prime minister’s office (PMO) into the Commonwealth Games (CWG) scam. The party has now demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the scam so that the guilty Union ministers and political leaders could also be hauled up.

Upping the ante, BJP chief Nitin Gadkari slammed the PMO and asked it to explain on what grounds the Cabinet sanctioned the huge amount for CWG expenses. He also sought to force the UPA dispensation on the back foot by mentioning that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia were also part of the CWG organising committee that oversaw the preparations.

However, when asked if he was levelling corruption charges against Gandhi, Gadkari replied in the negative.

The PMO, on the other hand, rejected Gadkari’s “exaggerated and baseless” claims.

A PMO source said that the Cabinet had approved Rs11,687 crore and that the facilities were not part of the CWG expenses. “The entire expenditure incurred on the Games had been vetted and are open to inspection by Comptroller and Auditor General,” he said.

Gadkari blamed the prime minister for the CWG mess. “Are you [prime minister] not directly responsible for all this mess? Is the whole Cabinet not responsible for the CWG chaos and corruption?” he asked.

Gadkari pressed for the setting up of JPC to probe into the irregularities. “The concrete incriminating documentary evidence collected by BJP will be submitted before JPC,” he said.