Sunny Nimhan joins father in criticising Kalmadi supporters

Pune Youth Congress president Sunny Nimhan, who was present to welcome MP Suresh Kalmadi at a function held in Pune Municipal Corporation on June 11, seems to have changed sides to join his Congress MLA father Vinayak Nimhan. Sunny who earlier claimed that former minister for state and home Ramesh Baghwe dragged him to attend the programme, has now voiced his father's demand and said that city Congress president Abhay Chhajed should resign from his post.

In the name of the father: Sunny Nimhan (extreme right) sitting with MP Suresh Kalamdi (extreme left) and Congress leaders from the city

"It is sad that the (city) Congress president himself supported a gathering of Kalmadi loyalists," Sunny said. On behalf of Youth Congress, Sunny supported his father's act of lodging a verbal complaint against Chhajed to party state president Manikrao Thakare stating that it was ustified and also for the
betterment of the city unit of the Congress. "How can Congress men greet and sit with suspended party MP Kalmadi against party's protocol?" he said. Protesting against the father son duo, Chhajed supporters Rajendra Bhutada, Shankar Rathod and Ramesh Ramesh Adhav made a complaint against Vinayak Nimhan to Thakare claiming that the MLA had threatened and abused them.

Congress leaders from the city; (inset) Sunny's father Vinayak Nimhan. File Pic

Kalmadi had inaugurated the Sports Committee Office and discussed civic issues with Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak in PMC building. u00a0Sunny, who has criticised the Kalmadi loyalists, was found sitting just two seats away from the suspended MP during interaction with the media.u00a0The suspended MP had even introduced Sunny to the media and stated that he was present on behalf of his father Vinayak Nimhan.u00a0

Admitting his presence with Kalmadi in the conference hall in the PMC commissioner's office, Sunny said, "I would not have entered the hall if I had been told about Kalmadi's presence there. I was brought there by party MLA Ramesh Bagwe just to meet the commissioner. He did not tell me that Kalmadi was also there."

Vinayak had earlier blamed Bagwe for forcibly bringing Sunny before Kalmadi. Bagwe refuted the charges levelled at him and said, "This is a 100 per cent lie. Sunny is not a child to be brought before Kalmadi by using force."u00a0Abhay Chhajed, city Congress president, said, "Both Vinayak Nimhan and his son Sunny consider themselves to be a Congress party. Actually, both are new in the party and they should understand its nature first. Sunny is too young to make any comment on me and that is why there is no question of reacting." u00a0u00a0