Industry, Labour and Employment & Information and Public Relations Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has said that the State Government was committed to promote sports activities in the State and maintain the true spirit and sanctity of sports. Minister stated that all sports were being equally promoted and requisite sports infrastructure and other facilities being provided throughout the State.

Mukesh Agnihotri said

The State Government did not believe in interfering in the affairs of various sports organisations, however it was its duty to ensure that these worked in a fair and democratic manner for the bonafide purpose of promoting sports and benefiting the public. The State Government had no intention whatsoever of taking control over sports organisations, its objective was to facilitate them and ensure that these worked transparently and democratically as per rules and regulations. At the same time, the Government wants to ensure that sports bodies do not become preserve or private property of any individual or their vested interests.

Minister said that the Government was determined to ensure that the public assets and facilities provided by it for the promotion of sports are equitably available and accessible to all people and are not monopolised or misused for mean motives. It was duty-bound to take cognisance, where organisations were violating rules and working contrary to the law.

The Minister said that the outcry of vendetta by the BJP was a political ploy to pressurise and detract the investigating agencies which were looking into various irregularities committed during the previous Government. The affairs of HPCA had been in controversy for quite some time and there were numerous complaints against its functioning from various quarters, which were being looked into independently by different agencies. The positioning of the BJP with the HPCA in the matter was on expected lines since party interest was dear to them than the public interest, which had been totally ignored by their Government while giving benefits to the HPCA.