CWG issues cast shadow on UK-India ties: British lawmakers
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British lawmakers on Thursday criticised the findings of an Indian government appointed committee looking into irregularities in the 2010 CWG games, saying problems of the mega sporting event continue to cast a ‘long shadow’ over bilateral ties.
The parliamentarians also raised the issue of non-payment of about Rs 123 crore to a British firm SIS Live for carrying out Commonwealth Games related work in India and sought its amicable resolution.
"The problems of the Commonwealth Games continue to cast a long shadow over relations between my two countries. I bitterly regret this, as my two countries have a shared history and a shared destiny," Punjab-born British MP, Virendra Sharma and chairman of All Party Parliamentary Group on India, said.
They also criticised the findings of the High Level Shunglu Committed appointed by the Indian government to look into alleged irregularities related to the 2010 mega sporting event held in New Delhi.
"Whilst it is absolutely correct that my colleagues in the Indian Government assure themselves of no wrongdoing by any company, it must also be understood that the problems the Shunglu Report has created are causing real concern amongst my colleagues in the political and business communities in the UK," Sharma, also the head of the UK-Kerala Business Forum was quoted as saying by a release issued by SIS Live.
"The Shunglu committee clearly failed to consider evidence which was publicly available" in relation to the Rs 246 crore broadcast deal between SIS Live and India's public broadcaster Prasar Bharti, he said.
Stephen Hammond, Chairman of the Conservative Parliamentary Friends of India, who initiated the debate on UK/India Trade said, "We must work to remove negative perceptions about the difficulties which UK companies might face when trading in India. If the outstanding issues arising from the Commonwealth Games were resolved many of these negative perceptions would disappear".
Another speaker, Anglo-Indian MP Priti Patel, Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on India commented “If India is to become a global superpower, then it must understand that the culture and practices which underpinned the Commonwealth Games cannot be tolerated by her trading partners.”
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