Govt non-commital on JPC on IPL -Governance Now

Govt non-commital on JPC on IPL

However, says all channels and sources of funds will be examined to nail those guilty of money-laundering

PTI | April 19, 2010

The government has said that an investigation was being conducted into the functioning of IPL but remained non-committal on a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe demanded by non-UPA members who alleged that the tournament involved "betting" and "laundering of black money".

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha on Monday that investigation into the sources and routes of funding for the Twenty20 tournament had already begun and "no guilty or wrong-doer" would be spared.

"The concerned department has already started investigation process (into the IPL episode). All aspects including sources of funding and routes through which the funds arrived would be looked into. Appropriate action as per law would be taken. No guilty or wrong-doer will be spared," Mukherjee said.

His response came after Left parties, BJP, RJD, SP, JD(U) and BSP alleged that IPL involved "betting" and "laundering of black money" and asked the government to take control of it.

They welcomed the step of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek resignation of Tharoor over IPL allegations.

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 ban the IPL which according to them has become a "betting and gambling ring".

Amid calls from Speaker Meira Kumar to allow the Question Hour, Sharad Yadav said, "The moot question is the IPL and not Tharoor." He was supported by Lalu Prasad.

Later in the Zero Hour, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta raised the issue. He said he welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's step of taking resignation of Tharoor but the main issue related to IPL.

Alleging that the game involves "laundering of black money" and "white-washing of black money", he said it was an "aberration" taking place "under the nose of Finance Ministry".

He criticised this form of 20-20 game, saying it was a "caricature" of cricket which was sending a wrong message to budding cricketers that they turn to it to earn money.

"Players are bought like vegetables. Betting is taking place openly. It is not cricket but organised gamble," Dasgupta alleged, adding that it involved huge amounts of money in a country which is poor in resources and has so many jobless people.

In the Rajya Sabha, the issue was raised by a JD(U) member who said funds of the IPL and BCCI should be confiscated.

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