Supporters of Suresh Kalmadi,including local Congress leaders,on Tuesday rallied round the Pune MP after he was told by the party to quit as secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party. While Kalmadi aides described it as a passing phase in his political career,opposition parties like the Shiv Sena and the BJP,which had been demanding action against Kalmadi following allegations of corruption in organising the CWG,stepped up their attack. The Congress city unit issued no statement,but several party leaders like Bhausaheb Bhoir and Babu Nair aired their views in his support. Nair,a staunch Kalmadi supporter,said nobody is guilty unless proven. Kalmadi should be given a chance to prove his stand. Let there be a fair trial. We are sure Kalmadi will come out unscathed. Nair added,In the sports map,where India is nowhere globally except for cricket,it is Kalmadi who has carved out an international image for the country. Another Congress leader,Mohan Joshi,who has had a running feud with Kalmadi,gave a guarded reaction. He said there are instances of leaders often told to vacate office over some allegation getting a clean chit later. After charges against the MP surfaced,the party asked him resign. The Congress has a long tradition of asking its leaders to vacate office if any charges are made against them. Many a time,the leaders have emerged unscathed. On the contrary,parties like the BJP has had so many leaders against whom corruption charges have been made,but they rarely takes action against them, he said. The Shiv Sena said Kalmadi had no right to call himself a representative of Puneites as his party had shown no confidence in him. The Congress asked Kalmadi to resign after finding prima facie corruption in the Commonwealth Games. So Kalmadi has already been held guilty by his own party, said Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe. Gorhe even called for a public boycott of the leader. The public boycott will serve the purpose. It is time corrupt leaders are sent a strong message by citizens. No public representative has the right to take his constituency for a ride, she said. BJP leader Mutka Tilak said,Kalmadi has tarnished Punes image. There should be a thorough probe, she said.
