Chennai, Jun 1 : Contrary to widespread perception that N Srinivasan could be shown the door, none of those who attended the BCCI Working Committee meeting demanded his resignation though I S Bindra claimed he did.
A senior office-bearer of the BCCI categorically stated,”None of the members of the BCCI demanded resignation from Mr Srinivasan and he has been assured that he can resume functioning if he is cleared by the inquiry commission.”
Following is the timeline of the sequence of events that has happened at the Chennai meeting today afternoon.
President N Srinivasan gives a resume of issues including domestic and pending issues with ICC. He then streamlines two incidents involving three players allegedly involved in spot-fixing and the Gurunath Meiyappan betting issue.
Srinivasan then intimates WC committee that Sanjay Jagdale and Ajay Shirke are special invitees for the meeting.
Srinivasan intimates about the resignation tendered by the duo and declares that resignation as “unacceptable.”
Senior VP Jaitley then expresses his concern about the credibility of the Board being affected due to three players and Gurunath.
Jaitley tells Srinivasan to “Step Aside till the pendency of inquiry and not discharge any presidential functions for a free and fair probe.”
Srinivasan agrees to Jaitley's proposal to step aside pending inquiry.
Jaitley informs the WC committee that he told Srinivasan to step aside in Kolkata last Sunday and Srinivasan agreed that he was indeed asked by senior BJP leader.
WC committee then unanimously asks Jagdale and Shirke to reconsider their decision and gives them 24 hours to change their mind. Both had refused to come back into the fold.
Srinivasan tells jokingly that Mr Shirke is my “golf
partner and we are best of buddies”.
One by one, Jagmohan Dalmiya (CAB), Ravi Savant (MCA), Anil Kumble (KSCA), Ganga Raju (Andhra CA) , Niranjan Shah (VP), Sudhir Dabir (VP) air their views.
I S Bindra questions validity of the meeting as it has been called in just one day. Rajeev Shukla counters saying that this meeting can be ratified by the next WC meeting on a back date as the issue is of paramount importance.
Members request Jaitley to take over as interim president but the senior politician refuses citing busy political commitments.
Jaitley then proposes names of Shashank Manohar and Jagmohan Dalmiya as two candidates who should be the leader of the “Interim Arrangement” till the probe is over.
Srinivasan is intimated that he can come back as president if he is cleared in the probe.
Manohar's name doesn't find acceptability and then Jaitley and Anurag Thakur propose Dalmiya's name which Srinivasan finds acceptable.
In the end it is unanimously agreed by members that Srinivasan will “Step Aside” and not “Resign” as none of the 23 others demanded so.
Dalmiya agrees to be the head of the interim arrangement.
Bindra counter-questions that how will Dalmiya function without a specific post and take day-to-day decisions.
Shukla then proposes that Dalmiya and his team will seek WC committee's approval every fortnight in order to clear the decks for smooth functioning. Members agree unanimously.
WC committee then gives Dalmiya the power to appoint the third member of the probe panel replacing Jagdale as the two retired judges will remain in the panel.
Bindra questions who appointed the three-member panel to enquire into activities of Gurunath Meiyappan.
Prof Ratnakar Shetty answers that it was IPL Secretariat (not GC) that appointed the panel. IPL secretariat is comprised of CEO Sundar Raman and Peter Griffith.
Bindra asks that did anyone from ICC's Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) tip off BCCI about Gurunath.
It is learnt that none of the BCCI office-bearers could confirm that they got a call from BCCI ACSU about Gurunath.
The meeting ends with the Anurag Thakur preparing a press note which clearly states that Srinivasan merely stepped aside and did not resign.
