New Delhi: A helicopter belonging to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini that was parked at Gurugram’s Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex has now been removed, according to the sports department. The chopper reportedly occupied the facility’s running track for three days, leading to criticism on social media regarding the treatment of public sporting infrastructure in the city.
Ram Mehar Singh, Deputy Director of Sports for Haryana, said the track had been closed due to security reasons.
“The track was closed for security reasons. Since CM Saini arrived in the state this morning, the helicopter has been removed, and the track is open again,” Singh said.
The issue got wider attention following a tweet by Divya Singh, co-founder of sportswear startup OYR.
“CM sahab’s glorious helicopter has been parked at Tau Devi Lal Stadium for the last couple of days. The result? The TRACK IS CLOSED. Hundreds of state-level athletes train here every day. For many of them, this is the only track available to train on. Their aspirations of representing India can wait because there are more important things to do there now: parking the CM’s helicopter,” Divya posted Wednesday.
The tweet amassed over 29,000 views and a dozen comments.
“This practice has been on for years. Incidentally, this stadium is run by @OfficialGMDA who have a stellar record of garbage and rainwater management,” replied Gunjan Anurag.
Anurag attached a similar tweet by him in July 2023 about a helicopter parked in the middle of the running track in Tau Devi Lal complex.
“It has policemen guarding it & shooing athletes away. Requesting Anurag Thakur to nudge the govt. machinery (no pun intended) for it refuses to move on its own accord,” read the post.
‘VIP culture’
The internet is flooded with photos of the helicopter in Tau Devi Lal Stadium. The images show a red-and-white helicopter parked on the racing track. The chopper had been parked at the location while Saini undertook an official visit to Singapore from 4 to 6 October.
Divya’s post also spoke about India’s stereotype as a “third-world country”.
“We get angry when Westerners stereotype India as a ‘third-world country.’ What exactly are we doing to challenge that perception when we treat public sporting infrastructure like this? We’re not just failing our athletes. We’re telling them that their training, their time and their ambitions matter less than the convenience of a VIP,” the tweet read.
One commenter agrees: “The VIP culture of India is pathetic.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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