Govt to probe IPL 'thoroughly'

Finance minister says no IPL wrongdoer will be spared

PTI | April 19, 2010



The government which had chosen to steer clear of the Indian Premier League all this while, said on Monday that all aspects of the IPL including the sources and routes of funding of the teams were being probed and assured Parliament that "no guilty or wrong-doer" will be spared.

As the IPL came under the government's scanner, the cash-rich league's commissioner Lalit Modi rubbished allegations of betting and money laundering in the event and threatened to take legal action against a leading business daily which had made the accusations.

With Opposition parties training their guns on the government over the IPL dealings in the wake of the Lalit Modi-Shashi Tharoor row and the controversy over financial issues relating to IPL teams, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha, "the concerned department has already started investigation process (into the IPL episode)."

Mukherjee assured members that "appropriate action as per law" would be taken if any wrongdoing was found in the manner the IPL was funded.

"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.

Tharoor also met Mukherjee, a day after he resigned from the union council of ministers capping the week-long drama over his role in IPL Kochi.

Senior Congress leader and overseas indians minister Vayalar Ravi shared the sentiments of the opposition on the IPL issue and characterised the cricket league as "glorified gambling".

"It is for the government to look into the whole system. What is the IPL, who are the people, where from the money comes is a matter of serious concern," Ravi said.

As soon as the Lok Sabha 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".

Prasad wanted the government to take over the IPL and the BCCI. He also wanted a probe into the alleged black money in the glitzy cricket league.

Corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid rejected suggestions of a suo motu action by his ministry into IPL affairs.

CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said Shashi Tharoor's resignation does not put a "full stop" to the IPL issue.

Modi, who is in Dubai to attend the ICC's Executive Board meeting on behalf of BCCI President Shashank Manohar, said the charges in the business daily were "nonsense" and aimed at discrediting the Twenty20 tournament.

Comments

 

Other News

How to make our cities climate-resilient

Indian cities are growing at a pace that our infrastructure and climate can no longer sustain. This rapid urban sprawl increasingly strains urban systems, overshadowing the severe environmental fallout produced in its wake. The repercussions include Urban Heat Island Effect (UHI), Urban Floods, and many mo

Trump’s China setback pushes US to woo India

A week after Donald Trump’s visit to China – the first by an American president in nine years, US secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in India on May 23 on a four-day visit aimed at resetting Washington DC’s relations with New Delhi and attending the third Quad ministerial meeting.

EU–India FTA 2026: A high‑stakes prescription for Indian pharma and healthcare

India’s pharmaceutical industry stands as one of the world’s market leaders of generic pharmacy with market valuation of USD 50 billion in 2026. Characterised by high volume, low-cost generic manufacturing, with an annual growth rate of 10-12% primarily propelled by exports and domestic demand,

Legends, vignettes and tales from the freedom movement

Robin Hood of Kathiawar and Other Extraordinary Stories from India’s Freedom Movement By The Paperclip  HarperCollins, 348 pages, Rs 499  

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta tells quirky tales from the world of law

The Lawful and the Awful: Quirky Tales from the World of Law By Tushar Mehta Rupa Publications, 336 pages, Rs 995  

Cabinet meet discussed `Ease of Living`, `Ease of Doing Business`

The Council of Ministers has deliberated upon valuable perspectives and best practices relating to boosting ‘Ease of Living’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’, prime minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.   As he shared details of the Council meeting held the d





Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter