Mumbai, Jun 27 (IANS): The BJP on Sunday slammed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Sports Minister Sunil Chattrapal for parking their vehicles on the sports track of Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex.
Union Minister Smriti Irani tweeted, "Due to a meeting held at the Sports Complex in Maharashtra, an athletes' track built at a cost of crores was damaged. Instead of strengthening the facilities of the players, the Maharashtra Sports Minister is himself engaged in spoiling the system."
"As it is we are lacking in sufficient sports facilities in our country. All the sports centres need proper care," said Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
It was learnt that a meeting was called in the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex on Saturday and vehicles of NCP chief and others were parked on the track.
In a series of tweets, BJP MLA in Maharashtra, Siddharth Shirole said, "The arrogance of the #MVA leadership and their complete disdain for citizens and public property is extremely infuriating.
To see Ex-President IOA, Sports Minister of Government of Maharashtra and others disrespect and abuse the hallowed sports infrastructure, hurts me as a citizen and as a sports person."
In a separate tweet, Shirole said, "Despicable that the athletic track at Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex (Mahalunge-Balewadi) was used as a parking lot for Cars belonging to senior MVA Leadership including Ex. IOA President Sharad Pawar, Sports Cabinet Minister Sunil Chattrapal Kedar and MoS Sports Aditi S Tatkare."
"Not only has the athletic Track worth crores of rupees Aat ShivChaptrapati Sports Complex #Pune been damaged, but the spirit of Sportspersons who bring glory to our nation has been severely dented by the shameful & arrogant actions of #MVA leadership," Shirole said.
In-charge of BJP's Information and Technology department, Amit Malviya tweeted, "At a time when Indian athletes are preparing for Olympics, Sharad Pawar, former IOA president and other MVA ministers, in a brazen display of arrogance, run their cars on the tracks of Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex (Pune), because they didn't want to climb two flights of stairs."