By Arun Kumar, IANS,
Washington : The White House party crashers, who sauntered uninvited into President Barack Obama’s first state dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, are hosting a polo match featuring India on the National Mall Saturday.
Last year’s “America’s Polo Cup” is still under investigation in Virginia, the Indian embassy has unceremoniously ended its association with this year’s event but Tareq and Michaele Salahi insist the polo match is legitimate.
“We want everyone to come down and see this incredible polo game which is so rare, we do it once a year,” a beaming Tareq Salahi told Fox 5 TV channel.
Construction is already underway at West Potomac Park for the Saturday event, which boasts an international polo match with India along with food, drinks and music.
“We will honour the south Asian Indian culture first, and then we have a surprise performance by a musical artist from that part of the world,” said Salahi.
Salahis are also dogged with controversy about sponsors of this year’s event. Their web site lists event sponsors but several have denied their status as a sponsor for the event, the channel said.
Roche Salon in Georgetown, where Michaele Salahi got her hair done before the Nov 24 White House dinner is a sponsor. But owner Dennis Roche said they are only slightly concerned about their client and her reputation.
“Well, to some degree yes, because there is guilt by association,” he said. “But on the other hand, I don’t have any issues with her. She’s always been nice to us. I don’t have any money issues or anything else with her.”
And he says Michaele Salahi told Roche that the event is for charity. But he does not know to which one. “I’m not sure right now because they’ve had so much controversy about it. They have been keeping it a bit quiet,” said Roche.
Salahi told FOX 5 that the money raised will go to benefit polo. The reason they failed to pay their vendors at the Virginia fundraising event last year is because many others failed to pay the Salahis for tickets or other promised donations, he said
As for the controversy about the sponsors this year, Tareq Salahi said, “The best thing I can say is they are actually going to be here tomorrow. So on Saturday, come and see for yourself.”
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])