IT'S ALL ABOUT MONEY: Aiswarya Rai and Saif Ali Khan and Mani Shankar Aiyar

'Asiwarya Rai  didn't deserve 4 cr!' Mani Shankar Aiyar expernditure on Bollywood by sorts ministry        It is three months to the Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi, and former Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyar has raised his voice further against the "enormous waste of money on India's biggest sporting event to which the poor won't have access at all".        Mani, who is all in favour of the same money being spent on anti-poverty and welfare measures, has now voiced shrill disapproval about the organising committee's "obsession with Bollywood" on his blog. Speaking from his past experience of the Commonwealth Games 2006 in Melbourne, Mani says that crores of rupees were offered to Aiswarya Rai Bachchan who surely didn't need that money.         "I heard it was Rs 4 crore for a foru-minute appearance in that programme, which lasted 11 minutes. Then, Saif Ali Khan was also there, and yes, I've said this before too, that Saif got Rs 75 lakh for his performance," says the former minister. "All this Bollywood, glam and the tamasha angle are proof of the organising committee's obsession with Bollywood, Even the cheerleaders in the IPL failed. We have a 5,000-year--old civilisation, why limit its presentation, to just Bollywood?"         The Congress Party has distaneed itself from Mani's views and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit has been carrying out a spirited battle of repartee with him on the Commonwealth Games. But Mani remains indefatigable in his criticism. Over and above this wasteful expenditure, he points out with horror, the Delhi government is already saying that they would like to bid for the Olympic Games!