Maken sticks to his stand, says Kalmadi shouldn't attend Olympics

Continuing his tirade against Suresh Kalmadi, Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Sunday maintained that the tainted sports administrator should not attend London Olympics and termed as "absurd" the demand for his resignation.

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A day after Kalmadi hit out at the sports minister accusing him of carrying out a vilification campaign, an unfazed Maken said that the sacked CWG chief should desist from going to the Olympics and he has taken up the mater with the IOA. (Read Kalmadi's tirade here)

"I have taken up the matter with the IOA. I have asked the IOA to speak to the IAAF (International Athletics Federation) and IOC and explain them the matter. He (Kalmadi) will nor be part of any official delegation from India neither of IOA nor of government," Maken told reporters here.

"I want to advise Kalmadi that he should not go to the Olympics unless he is cleared of all the charges," he said. On Kalmadi's demand that he should resign for contempt of court, Maken said that he has no morale authority to demand such a thing.

"No one has spoken to me about that. He (Kalmadi) is the person who has been chargesheeted on charges of corruption by the CBI and also been suspended by Congress Party. He has no moral right to ask me about my resignation. It's absurd for him to raise this issue (of my resignation)," said Maken.

On Saturday, Kalmadi had launched a vicious attack on Maken, accusing the Sports Minister of carrying out a vilification campaign against him and called for his resignation for contempt of court.

This was after a Delhi court on Thursday allowed Kalmadi to travel to London for the Olympics, evoking sharp reaction from Maken and some former athletes.

Kalmadi had lambasted Maken for interfering with the functioning of sports bodies and causing "groupism". He had said the vilification campaign was meant to cause a split between the officials and athletes and jeopardise India's medal prospects.

Maken had declined to comment, saying that he would not like to respond to a person who has been chargesheeted by the CBI and suspended by Congress party on corruption charges. The IOA, on its part, had sought to steer clear of the raging controversy and clarified that Kalmadi was not a part of its official delegation.