The Queen's Baton might have traversed 170,000 Km across the globe without raising a speck of dust, but a barely 24 hour halt in Lucknow propelled the prestigious Commonwealth Games symbol into the thick of a controversy with none other than the Sahara India group in the eye of the storm.
After the customary relay run followed by a series of cultural events on Friday had ended and the baton was proceeding towards Rae Bareli district, five vehicles from the official motorcade diverted from the prescribed route and headed for Sahara Shaher, the 150- acre sprawling, swanky private estate of Sahara group chief Subrata Roy.
This was confirmed by both District magistrate Sagar as well as DIG police Rajiv Krishna who told mediapersons , "these people have carried a replica of the baton to Sahara Shaher ."
While initially everyone believed it to be a "replica", Sahara officials themselves claimed that the "real baton" had been taken to Sahara Shaher.
In a press statement issued late evening, Sahara communications chief Abhijeet Sarkar admitted that the Queen's baton was taken to Sahara Shaher twice both on its arrival and departure from Lucknow.
He also claimed that the company was entitled to do so by none other than Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi, in recognition of all that the Sahara boss has done to promote sports in the country.
"The Queens Baton relay had arrived at Sahara Shaher on the instructions of the organizing committee of Commonwealth Games 2010.
"Saharasri Subrata Roy Sahara is the biggest patron of sports in India and is also the chairman of the protocol sub committee of Commonwealth Games 2010. On Friday, the Organizing Committee Relay members called upon Subrata Roy Sahara in the evening with the Baton, which they had brought along with them. Today, in the spirit of the relay, the baton was again brought to Sahara Shaher by the committee members, amidst all necessary protocols and was then taken back," Sarkar stated.
Interestingly, Roy happens to be the chairman of Commonwealth Games Protocol Sub-Committee, in which capacity he apparently ordered Baton Relay Committee chief Lieutenant General Raj Kadian (Retired) to bring the baton to his place of residence.
Sahara's claims notwithstanding, Lt. Gen. Kadian was taken into custody along with two other members of the committee, who were later released after they tendered a written apology.
The sequence of events over the day have shown how the powerful business house managed to prevail over the state administration, leading the district magistrate to literally backtrack on his earlier assertion - "legal action would be taken against the Sahara officials for showing disrespect to the Queen's Baton Relay and displaying it without any prior permission."
Earlier, he had even gone to the extent of adding, "apart from legal action, we will also register a complaint with the Government of India and the Sports Authorities to initiate suitable action against Sahara for showing disrespect to the Queen's baton. The act was not only condemnable but had also hurt the sentiments of sportspersons in particular."
The Queen's baton had reached Lucknow Friday when it was handed over o the UP Olympic Association. Big fanfare followed in the state capital from where it was to move on to 19 districts in two phases. It would reach Bihar July 13 and re-enter Uttar Pradesh from Jhansi district July 19, before moving on to New Delhi for the commencement of the games on October 3.
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