Congress turns table on BJP over Shunglu committee report

Amid opposition demands for the resignation of Delhi chief minister Shiela Dikshit, Congress on Monday threw the ball in the Government's court on the issue of the report of the V K Shunglu committee which has blamed her for delays and losses in Commonwealth Games projects.

"The Committee has submitted the report to the Government. It is for the Government to go into its merits and come to appropriate conclusions," party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.

He, however, preceded the statement by noting that "Congress has always believed that whoever has committed any indiscretion or alleged misdemeanour needs to be punished."

He was asked as to what action the Congress would take against Dikshit as also Lt Governor of Delhi Tejinder Khanna, who have been indicted by the Shunglu committee.

BJP has been demanding the scalp of Dikshit, who is at the helm of affairs of Delhi for 12 years and is also insisting that the anomalies related to the event be probed by the CBI to find out and punish the guilty. It wants action against the Lt Governor.

Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi, who has been the Chairman of the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games has been removed from the post a few months back following the
controversy over the CWG preparations.

Kalmadi has been questioned by the CBI and his personal assistant is in jail as also some Organising Committee officials.

Kalmadi was sacked as the Congress parliamentary party secretary last year in the wake of the row. Congress had distanced itself from Kalmadi's move seeking a JPC probe into the Commonwealth Games issue, saying it was his independent view and the party has nothing to do with it.

"It is an ongoing investigation which is being monitored by the Supreme Court. Allow them to continue their work. There should be no running commentary and I will appeal to other parties as well that there should be no running commentary," Tewari remarked.

He was replying to queries on the CBI probe in the Hasan Ali case.