New Delhi: The alleged non-payment of hotel bills for Civil Aviation Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy and his family in Goa today (Feb 8, 2004) erupted into a major controversy ahead of Lok Sabha polls, with the Opposition demanding his dismissal and arrest as also a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

Seeking to squeeze mileage from the issue, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, at a hurriedly called press conference, said action must be taken against Rudy under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"We demand Rudy's immediate dismissal, arrest and a thorough CBI probe in the entire matter involving the Civil Aviation Minister in the (alleged) non-payment of his bills and asking AAI (Airport Authority of India) to pick up the bills for his family's five day four night stay in Taj Exotica in Goa," he said.

The AAI issued a statement saying that on the expressed instructions of the office of the Civil Aviation Minister it had not made any payment for Rudy's stay at Goa from December 30, 2003 to January 2, 2004.

The airport director in Goa has confirmed that he has received instructions from the office of the Minister not to make any payment against accommodation charges that he has referred the bills to the Minister's office for payment on January 23, 2004.

Reacting to the allegation, Rudy is reported to have said, "We have not paid any money to the hotel. The reason is that the hotel jacked up the rates...I said I would pay for the personal part, but because of the high rate nothing has been paid so far."