KOCHI: The Kaloor stadium controversy has turned into a political spat in the district. The uncertainty and discrepancies regarding the renovation of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, in preparation for the now-cancelled football match featuring Lionel Messi and his Argentina team, has triggered a controversy with the Opposition accusing the government and sponsors of corruption.
In response, the CPM district committee said the Congress is mixing politics into the issue.
“Fans were anticipating the Argentina national team playing an international friendly here and the stadium was being prepared for that. It was then that the news broke that the scheduled date would be changed. The Congress is unnecessarily mixing politics into the issue and tried trespassing on the venue and disrupting the renovation work. We strongly condemn their actions,” the CPM said in a statement.
The Congress alleged that the stadium renovation deal between the government and the sponsors was made without a proper contract.
Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden accused Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), and the Sports Kerala Foundation (SKF) of not giving a clear picture on the matter. “Without providing clarity, the sports minister is kicking the ball to GCDA, and GCDA to SKF and SKF to sponsors. It is still unclear how the `70 crore is being spent,” Hibi said on Wednesday.