BJP seeks Aiyer’s resignation for Hockey debacle

New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday demanded the resignation of Union Sports Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer in the wake of the Indian hockey team’s unprecedented failure to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Interestingly, the main Opposition party did not seek the removal of Indian Hockey Federation President K P S Gill, a demand raised on Monday by several former players and many political parties.

Senior BJP leader V K Malhotra said the Sports Minister cannot shy away from taking the responsibility for the failure by merely saying that the Government cannot intervene as the Hockey federation was an autonomous body. “It is falsehood. The Government clears the team. There are three Government nominees in the selection committee. The Sports Secretary is involved. No team can go without the clearance of the Government,” he told reporters here.

Claiming that the UPA Government’s “anti-sports” policies were responsible for the Hockey debacle, he said the national game was taken of the priority games list and ‘A’ category and not given necessary facilities by the Government.

“The Minister is pursuing anti-sports policies. He should resign,” Malhotra said. He claimed that the Government has slashed the award money for medal winners of Commonwealth Games and earmarked just Rs 30 crore for preparation for the 2010 Games to be held in India.”The Government should support non-cricket and commonwealth games,” he said and criticised the Government for earmarking only Rs three crore for giving awards to players performing well at the international level.

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