Shahnawaz refutes Kalmadi's charge

Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shanawaz Hussain on Monday refuted as "false, baseless and maliciously motivated", Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi's charge that he was away sightseeing when weightlifter Karnam Malleswari won the bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics.

"I was very much there for her historic feat and immediately after that I rushed to the Olympic Park, 16 km away to watch the crucial India-Australia hockey match," Hussain, then Minster of State for sports, said in a rejoinder to Kalmadi's statement in the 'Janata ki Adalat' programme, broadcast by Star TV on Sunday.

Referring to Kalmadi's allegation that he (Shahnawaz Hussain) had gone sightseeing to Blue Mountain or the Gold Coast, the minister said immediatelty after the hockey match, he rushed to the athletes' village where he was present from 10.30 pm till half past midnight.

"In fact, chief-de-mission Ashok Mattoo, other officials of the contingent and a number of mediapersons were witness to my presence there," he said.

"Malleswari, during her interview to Doordarshan, stated that I came personally to congratulate her after her historic win.

"It is sad and regrettable that Mr Kalmadi preferred to give incorrect information to the media against a minister of the Government of India," he added.