After the exit of Shashi Tharoor from the union ministry, the Yadav trio on Monday trained its guns on the IPL cricket tournament and demanded in the Lok Sabha that it be taken over by the government.
As soon as the House met for the day, Lalu Prasad (RJD), Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) and Sharad Yadav (JD-U) were on their feet demanding that government disband the IPL which according to them has become a "betting and gambling ring".
"The moot question is the IPL and not Tharoor," Sharad Yadav said. Lalu Prasad wanted the government to take over the IPL and the BCCI. He also wanted a probe into the alleged black money in IPL.
The demands for disbanding the IPL come in the wake of reports that the income tax department is set probe the IPL teams and start wide-ranging investigations into the flow of money in the T20 tournament.
Tharoor, who was accused of arranging a deal for his friend Sunanda Pushkar, had to resign as Minister of State for External Affairs yesterday for his involvement in the affairs of Kochi IPL team.
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta demanded during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha that the IPL be disbanded. Dasgupta also called for probe into source of IPL funds and strong legal action against all those involved in nefarious activities.
RJD leader Lalu Prasad thanked the PM for forcing Tharoor to give his resignation. He however said, Shashi Tharoor was just the tip of the iceberg. He asked how IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has acquired a jet. “My son was also selected, but he has been given the task of wiping out the sweat of players playing in IPL. Is this the status of a child from a Yadav family?”
SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had a different take. He discredited cricket altogether as a foreign game, and said that cricket was being promoted at the expense of other ‘national' sports.IPL is just a waste of time, said Mulayam.
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav described IPL as a ‘vulgar display' and alleged it was promoting betting. Our Sports Minister has been complaining about commercialization of cricket but is unable to do anything, he said. IPL is a den of vice, betting and black money, said Sharad Yadav.
BJP deputy leader Gopinath Munde said, too much black money has been poured into IPL, and it is against “Bharatiya sanskriti' (Indian culture) too. When bar girls are not allowed to dance in Maharashtra bars, how are cheer girls being allowed to dance in IPL matches, asked Munde.
Outside Parliament, Minister for Overseas Indians Vyalar Ravi demanded probe into links between BJP and Lalit Modi. He was also supported by Congress MP Jagadambika Pal.
