PM invited me but I was busy: Kalmadi

Pushed to the wall but defiant nonetheless Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi has claimed that contrary to reports he was invited by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the felicitation function for CWG medal winners but could not go due to his busy schedule Kalmadi was not seen at the PMs function as well as the felicitation ceremony for CWG medallists organised by Congress President Sonia Gandhi leading to speculation that he had been snubbed by his own party after the OC was accused of widescale corruption Too much is being made out of that I was busy seeing off the thousands of international athletes who had come for the Games The chef de mission rang me to tell that we have to attend a function at the PMs residence but I told him that I cannot go because I was busy Kalmadi told CNNIBN I am not at all a persona non grata I was seeing off athletes he insisted With the government ordering a probe into the October 3 to 14 Games expenses Kalmadi has his back against the wall but he asserted that all of OCs decisions were taken collectively by an executive board I have not taken any decision on my own he said Its good that a probe has been ordered because the Prime Minister had committed this to the Parliament and the public We will give all the answers I am not at all nervous We have given great Games and we are ready to give the answers now he added Asked whether the findings of the inquiry would trigger a storm that might blow him away Kalmadi said The storm was much earlier but now that we have delivered a good Games its over Kalmadi once again hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for stating that the suspicion of corruption in the Games lay primarily on OC I have kept quiet all along because my interest was to deliver a good Games but that should not be seen as a sign of weakness Now that the Games are over I shall speak out I have already replied to Ms Dikshit that set your own house in order before pointing fingers at us She had a budget of Rs 16000 crore for construction related work and I had nothing to do with it My budget was Rs 1600 crore I was not part of the construction work She has to answer a lot for that Kalmadi said Everybody criticised me for the foot overbridge collapse near the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium but that was not my business The Delhi government and the PWD have to answer for that he added When the Prime Minister has ordered a probe she doesnt have to say anything Kalmadi said despite the messy buildup that brought India a lot of negative press worldwide the countrys Olympic dream is still alive The whole world feels we should hold the Olympics International Olympic Committee Chairman Jacques Rogge was impressed with the Commonwealth Games and wants India to host the Olympics But we shall make an announcement only after the cloud over CWG is over We will have to take the government into confidence We are ready for it and definitely we will bid for the Olympics he said