By IANS,
New Delhi : The government Friday said a probe by a parliamentary panel into the financial dealings of Indian Premier League (IPL) could be considered even as battle lines were drawn in the cricket administration ahead of a meeting April 26.
The day started with news that former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), A.C. Muthiah, has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the norms that permit office bearers to hold franchises for Indian Premier League (IPL).
Soon after, when the two houses of parliament convened, there were heated exchanges over the IPL saga between the members of the treasury and the opposition, with the latter demanding a probe by a joint parliamentary committee.
“I have noted everybody’s suggestion and due consideration will be given. The government will have to ponder over all the demands. I will forward the sentiments to the prime minister (Manmohan Singh),” Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Lok Sabha.
Yet, the two houses had to be adjourned several times because of the din, with some opposition members also wanting to know the veracity of reports that said two federal ministers had figured in the controversy, without naming them.
Media reports had Thursday alleged that Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had forwarded an e-mail to Shashi Tharoor, who had resigned as minister of state for external affairs last week, on revenue projections and valuations of IPL franchises.
Patel was further drawn into the controversy following reports that a scheduled Air India flight from Delhi to Coimbatore was withdrawn April 20 and converted into a chartered operation to ferry his daughter Poorna and some IPL players.
The carrier, however, denied any wrong-doing by its officers.
“It was absolutely a commercial decision. Chartered flights make a lot of money for the airline. We keep combining flights according to our operational demand. The IPL anyway has been our customer ever since it began,” said Arvind Jadhav, chairman and managing director of the airline.
This apart, the reports suggested that Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s son-in-law, Sadanand Sule, allegedly owned a stake in a broadcast company – also under the tax administration’s scanner — that was given the rights for IPL.
The IPL saga took a new twist with former BCCI president A.C. Muthiah moving the apex court, challenging the new norms that allow office bearers to hold franchises for T20 tournaments, saying it was a clear case of conflict of interest.
The noted Chennai-based industrialist challenged the decision of the single-judge bench of the Madras High Court that had earlier dismissed his plea.
Muthiah, as also IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, also questioned the legality of the April 26 meeting of the governing council of the IPL cricket extravaganza, saying there was conflict of interest over the person who has convened it.
The court’s intervention has been specifically sought in the wake of India Cements Ltd, which is led by BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan, being allowed to own the franchise for the Chennai IPL team.
The president of the cricket board, Shashank Manohar has, however, said the charges were untenable and that the meeting of the governing council, called amid nationwide tax probe on the Indian Premier League (IPL) and its franchises, will go ahead as scheduled.