Left to raise IPL bidding issue in Parliament

Express news service Posted: Feb 24, 2008 at 0208 hrs
Kolkata, February 23 The Left Front came down heavily upon the much talked about Indian Premier League (IPL)on Saturday saying that betting would do much harm to the gentleman’s game.

Making a scathing attack on the bidding of the cricketers that saw many cricketer turning millionaires overnight, Communist Party of India (CPI) MP and AITUC secretary Gurudas Dasgupta alleged that the IPL will only help in converting black money into white of the big business houses.

“Nobody knows from where so much money is coming. We strongly protest against the initiative. We will bring up the matter in Parliament,” Dasgupta said at a press conference here today.

“Cricketers were auctioned like animals. This is unwanted,” he added.

Questioning the formation of the IPL, Dasgupta said, “I do not want to name anyone. But a minister, who is also the president of a club, gave permission for the League. I do not know how he did so.”

He further said that he would take up the matter with the Union Finance Ministry on the issue of the money involved in this.

“A Twenty20 game is harmful and the decadent culture will spell the doom for Indian cricket,” he added.