A day after appearing to come to Lalit Modi's rescue, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said he is not the 'saviour' or the hangman of the embattled IPL Commissioner.
Abdullah, who is the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association and also an IPL Governing Council member, maintained that he merely wants the facts of the controversy in the Indian Premier League to come out first.
"How do you say Farooq Abdullah is his (Modi's) saviour or hanger? Everybody is saying that Farooq Abdullah is a saviour and Sharad Pawar has turned this way or that way.
Let the facts come out first. Government has already acted and we are trying to find out," the former J and K chief minister said.
Abdullah said the inquiry will show who all are involved in the alleged corruption in the cash-rich league.
"Shashi Tharoor has also sought an inquiry to clear his name. Once facts are clear, we will know what decisions are to be taken," he said.
Asked whether some of the IPL teams want Modi to stay, he said, "Whatever I have heard on this is from press reports. Until unless we hear it from them, there is no point in Farooq Abdullah making a comment."
Abdullah yesterday appeared to come to the rescue of Modi in the escalating IPL row saying the commissioner of the tournament should be given a chance to reply to the charges made against him in the controversy.
"Let us not become judges without hearing the poor man. If there is a charge against him, let him reply to them," he had said when asked if Modi should resign from his post in wake of the alleged murky financial dealings in IPL.
The beleaguered IPL boss is facing the axe after apparently having lost the backing of BCCI heavyweight and Union minister Sharad Pawar and may be out as IPL commissioner when the Governing Council meets in Mumbai on April 26. PT
