For the first time, a top Indian Cricket Board official has come out openly against its president N Srinivasan on Tuesday. Power Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, also Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association president and a member of BCCI finance committee, wants Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) supremo N Srinivasan to step down immediately on moral grounds.
Speaking to a news channel, he said, "Let me say this that I am not assuming or saying that anyone is guilty. But considering the environment that is around cricket today, considering that we do need to cleanse the sport in every single meaning of the word, I do believe that it would be in the fitness of things if Srinivasan did step aside until this matter reached a conclusive end in terms of an inquiry," he said. All the same, he specified Srinivasan can return if his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan is absolved of his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal.
"If his son-in-law (Gurunath), is absolved then surely he can come back. But considering the environment that cricket is in today, I do think that if you combine the fact of a conflict of interest and his own family member being involved in an ongoing investigation, it is in the fitness of things and more from a spirit and propriety point of view." He reckons its time BCCI collectively streamlined a future course of action to cleanse itself. "It is time now for BCCI as a collective to see what the future course of action should be. That example has to come from the top.
"I believe we must take the assistance of other stakeholders on board to ensure that such incidents don't recur, and there is a very strict - and strictly enforced — due process," said Scindia. "We must take help of the investigating agencies.
" However, Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy and president of Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, backed Srinivasan.
“Why should he resign? If my son-in-law is involved, it does not mean I have to step down. Let the investigation get over. If it comes out in investigation that Srinivasan is responsible, he will go, he is an honourable man,” said Abdullah. He supported the need to legalise betting in the country. “Betting must be made legal, otherwise it would continue,” he said.
Meanwhile, Srinivasan brushed aside Scindia's call for his resignation, saying that "it was his view". "It's his view. I don't want to reply beyond that," he said.
