Pawar summons Modi to Delhi, promises ’collective decision’

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, April 20: Will surging allegations of financial irregularities, and a detailed inquiry against Lalit Modi make it tough for Sharad Pawar to stand by his man?

 

For now, Pawar simply says: "The IPL governing council will meet and take a collective decision on Modi."

Modi, who is the IPL commissioner, has landed in Mumbai from Dubai and has now reached Delhi. Pawar has called Modi to the Capital after having attended a series of meetings to discuss his fate and the IPL controversy this morning.

A short while ago, Pawar met Shashank Manohar, the chief of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who is also believed to be the man who will take over when Modi is forced to step down as IPL chief after the finals of IPL3 this Sunday.

Pawar also met with senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee, who has promised the Opposition that the government is investigating the source of funds for all IPL team-owners. After their meeting ended, Mukherjee said, in the context of the IPL investigation, "Taxmen have smelt something." He has, however, ruled out a joint parliamentary committee probe on the IPL.

Pawar’s stand on Modi is exceptionally significant given his alliance with the Congress.  The fact that he’s seen as Modi’s mentor makes this a tough equation currently - after all, Modi brought about the fall from grace of the Congress’ Tharoor.

Earlier today, Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule told NDTV her family had nothing to do with the IPL. "I do not owe anyone any explanation. My family has nothing to do financially with the IPL," she said. "Don’t bring IPL into NCP-Cong ties," she added.

Pawar had, last week, defended Modi’s decision to go public with the details of the stakeholders of the Kochi franchise, bought last month for 1530 crores. Modi’s tweets alleged that the consortium had not been entirely honest about who it included. He also revealed that Sunanda Pushkar, who is Tharoor’s girlfriend, was granted equity worth 70 crores.)

That information forced Tharoor to resign, but it has also backfired against Modi. The government’s investigation into the IPL will include a study of the financial transactions of its parent body, the BCCI.

The larger worry for many seems to be that the BCCI’s cupboard is packed with skeletons deposited by several rich and powerful players. Allegations of the roles of ministers in secret holdings of IPL equity are surfacing.  And Modi therefore seems to have inadvertently prepared a pitch riddled with landmines.

He has his supporters. Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya has spoken in support as has IPL Governing Council member Farooq Abdullah, who said: "When somebody rises to the top, (he is) bound to face such allegations.

Sources say that after the IPL finale on Sunday, Modi will be asked to resign at the IPL’s Governing council on Monday. If Modi doesn’t follow orders, the working committee of the BCCI will meet on May 2 to discuss action against Modi.

Ndtv