New Delhi:
Within hours of
Lalit Modi being declared as the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) in Jaipur today, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to indefinitely suspend RCA and appoint an ad-hoc body to run its cricket affairs. This is likely to trigger a new round of legal battle between the Board and the banned former
Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Mr Modi.
In a letter to the RCA, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said the association was being banned as per Clause 32.7 of the Board's constitution. The decision was taken by BCCI's interim president Shivlal Yadav. According to the BCCI's constitution, any affiliated unit defying the Board's image can be suspended. Mr Modi has been banned by BCCI although the former IPL boss has challenged the decision in court.
"The BCCI President has indefinitely suspended RCA from participating in any BCCI activity. The decision has been taken as per the constitution clause No. 32, sub-clause 7, where the president has the right to suspend an association, which doesn't conform with the rules and regulations of the BCCI. The decision was taken by interim president Shivlal Yadav," Mr Patel said.
Asked if the chances of Rajasthan players being selected in various national teams will be affected because of this development, Mr Patel said: "BCCI is pro-player. Our endeavour will be to look after the cricketers from Rajasthan. We will be forming an Ad-hoc body which will run cricket in Rajasthan, taking care of the interest of the players." Currently, two players, Ashok Menaria and Abhimanyu Lamba, are playing in age-group national teams.
The BCCI and former RCA chief Kishore Rungta are vehemently opposing Mr Modi's return. Although Mr Modi was formally declared RCA president by a court-appointed observer today, the Board has been allowed to challenge the controversial Rajasthan Sports Act that enabled Mr Modi to contest for the president's post for a second time. Mr Modi first became president of RCA in 2005.
Ahead of the December 19 elections in Jaipur, the BCCI had threatened to suspend the RCA for letting the banned Mr Modi contest the polls.
But after the Supreme Court allowed him to contest, the BCCI had to beat a hasty retreat. The
BCCI even conceded 'defeat' in court after the votes were submitted to the top court in a sealed envelope.
Bimal Soni, a deputy president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, says he feels the BCCI's fight with Modi is an "individual" one. While the BCCI can take on Mr Modi in the court of law, the Board has no right to ban RCA, says Soni. "As far as RCA is concerned, Modi is a democratically elected president and enjoys three-fourth majority," said Soni.
Although banned by the BCCI, Mr Modi is free to run the RCA from exile, said Mr Soni, adding that when Mr Modi was president in 2005, he was based in Mumbai, not Jaipur. "He barely came to Jaipur twice a month. It doesn't matter where Modi resides," Mr Soni said.