New Delhi:
After the arrest of his son-in-law for allegedly betting in the recently-concluded edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), pressure is mounting on BCCI chief N Srinivasan to step down.
However, he remains defiant and is conducting meetings at the BCCI head office in Mumbai. He had said earlier that he cannot be "railroaded, pushed and threatened to quit".
Following are the reactions to the clamour for his dismissal.
Jagmohan Dalmiya, former ICC and BCCI head
"Dirt in cricket has gone deep. No one is bothered... Nothing wrong happened when I was ICC head."
Sharad Pawar, NCP chief
"If I was the BCCI President, this would have never happened... I brought unity in BCCI which wasn't there earlier... Feel sad, this matter should go to Home Ministry."
Rajeev Shukla, IPL Commissioner
"I met Arun Jaitley this morning. Credibility of the BCCI is supreme, as is the image of cricket. We will do our best for Indian cricket. Till the inquiry is pending, N Srinivasan should dissociate himself from the procedure. He will have to take that decision."
Jitendra Singh, Union Sports Minister
"BCCI President should step down on moral grounds."
Lalu Prasad Yadav, RJD Leader
"There is no criminal liability on N Srinivasan, so he need not quit,"
Ajay Shirke, BCCI Treasurer"We shouldn't make too much of the BCCI probe since they have limitations. The real outcome that everyone should wait for is the one being conducted by an independent body (police)"
Jyotiraditya Scindia, BCCI Finance Committee Chairman"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 the fact 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 Mr Srinivasan did step aside until this matter reached a conclusive end in terms of an inquiry."
Farooq Abdullah, National Conference Chief"Sreenivasan is an 'honourable man' and was under no pressure to quit because his son-in-law was being investigated for betting in Indian Premier League matches."
Ehsan Mani, Former ICC president "There is a lot of 'conflict of interest' involved and he should have "stepped aside" under the current circumstances... In a tournament like this where so much money is involved, so much betting is going on, this is inevitable. What is surprising is BCCI's own reaction to this. Under the circumstance the president should have stepped aside, even if temporarily.