New Delhi, Sep.14 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Monday rebutted criticism of her government’s efforts on preparations for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the national capitalext year.
Reacting to Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell’s concerns about the organizing committee’s ability to deliver, Dikshit said that she had not received or read Fennell’s letter to Suresh Kalmadi, but was confident that the games preparations are going as per schedule.
Dikshit’s reaction came a day after Fennell sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention to expedite preparations for the 2010 event.
In his letter to the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee (CWOGC), a furious Fennell asked Kalmadi to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Singh next month.
“Our main concern relates to the capacity of the Organising Committee to deliver operationally. Preparations for the Games are significantly behind, so much so that the Commonwealth Games Federation is extremely worried about the Organising Committee’s ability to deliver the games to any comparable standard to that of the last two editions of the Games in Manchester and Melbourne,” Fennell wrote in his letter
Fennell claimed that the vast majority of functional areas were considerably behind schedule and that an overhaul in the management culture and operation of the organising committee was needed, else the Games “will fail from an operational perspective”.
“With only a year to run until the Games, I feel I must personally brief the Prime Minister of India on the lack of preparations and to seek his input in developing an appropriate recovery plan. I have asked the Chairman of the Organising Committee to facilitate such a meeting on my return to Delhi in early October for our General Assembly,” he said. (ANI)
Wilson apologises for calling Obama ‘a liar’
Washington, Sep 10 (ANI): South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson has apologized for heckling and calling President Barack Obama ‘a liar’.
“This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President’s remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the Health Care Bill. While I disagree with the President’s statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility,” Politico quoted Wilson, as saying.
The comment from Wilson could be heard throughout the House chamber in response to Obama’s remark that his health insurance plan would not extend benefits to illegal immigrants.
“I’ve never seen anything like that before. We do not invite the president of the United States into the House of Representatives and hurl insults,” said Republican Earl Pomeroy.
According to Wilson’s office, he called the White House after the speech to apologise to Obama, speaking with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.
The 62-year-old Wilson, who was elected to the House in 2001, previously found himself in the spotlight for attacking 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John F. Kerry over his 1971 testimony criticizing the Vietnam War. (ANI)