The IPL Kochi controversy deepened on Thursday amid allegations that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and IPL Commisioner Lalit Modi had come together to get a new team for Ahmedabad.
Bringing Narendra Modi in the line of fire, Kochi franchise spokesman Satyajit Gaikwad said everyone knew about his "nexus" with Lalit Modi and the concerted effort by them to deprive Kochi of IPL team and get a slot for Gujarat.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, who is also president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, sought to distance himself from the controversy fielding one of his ministers to refute the allegations against him.
"Franchise was awarded to the team following the open bidding process and in that no cricketing association or GCA has any role to play," Gujarat minister of state for home, Amit Shah said in Gandhinagar while rubbishing the allegations levelled by Gaikwad. Sticking to his charges, Gaikwad said, "We were told that we won't be allowed to work."
He claimed that the Adani group and Narendra Modi had a stake in the Ahmedabad IPL bid. "After we won the bid, our investors spoke to (former BCCI chief) Sharad Pawar and asked him which city to choose. He said 'you can take your pick', so we decided to take Kochi."
However, a senior NCP leader, claimed Pawar had nothing to do with the issue. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he alleged that aides of Minister of State of External Affairs Shashi Tharoor were resorting to such tactics to score some brownie points within Congress by speaking against NCP and Narendra Modi.
Tharoor is caught in the controversy amid allegations that his hand was there in Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend, getting free equity worth Rs 70 crore in IPL Kochi, a charge vehemently denied by the minister.
The NCP leader said, "the core issue is for what reason the sweat equity was alloted to Sunanda Pushkar and others. There are others also whose names have come to the fore. Why are they getting it?"
"The inaugural IPL bidding happened when Vasundhra Raje Scindia was Rajasthan's Chief minister. Vasundhra and Narendra Modi may have put pressure on Lalit (Modi) to bring a team to Ahmedabad. There is politics involved," Gaikwad contended. Gaikwad was supported by former GCA chief Narhari Amin who said both the Modis were pushing for Ahmedabad. He also demanded that Lalit Modi disclose the ownership details of all the IPL teams now that he has revealed the details of the Kochi team.
"I ask the government to reveal the ownership details of other IPL teams under the corporate law. Government should investigate. We are clean and we have nothing to hide", he said.
The Gujarat Home Minister admitted that some promoters had met the Chief Minister but went on to drive home the point that such meetings had no bearing on the process of bidding which went to the one quoting the highest.
Though there was no official word on it, sources said Mukesh Patel of Sriram Industries, Harshad Mehta of Rosy Blue Diamond and a representative of Anchor Group, all promoters of the Kochi IPL, had met Narendra Modi. The Gujarat CM is believed to have told them that GCA will support them if they want to play matches in Ahmedabad.
Commenting on the controversy, Sports Minister M S Gill said "it is just not cricket".
"Accountability should be there. Democracy applies everywhere. Democracy is like a sunflower which seeks sunshine. Therefore all institutions should work accordingly," he said. PTI
