West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today targeted the BJP-led Central government for allegedly "depriving" former Indian cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly by not nominating him for the ICC Chairman's post, terming it an act of "shameless political vendetta".
Mamata Banerjee, who said she would have spoken out on the issue even if master batsman Sachin Tendulkar was similarly deprived, alleged that Sourav Ganguly was deprived of the chance to fight the election to "secure someone else's interests".
"Why was he not sent to ICC? It is to secure someone's interest (in the cricket board). I had spoken to various BJP leaders, but he was not allowed. He has been deprived... This is a shameful political vendetta," she told reporters.
Earlier this week, the Trinamool chief expressed shock over Sourav Ganguly's "removal" as BCCI president and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention so that he is allowed to contest the elections for International Cricket Council head.
Roger Binny, a 1983 World Cup-winning squad member, has been elected as the 36th president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India or BCCI, taking over from Sourav Ganguly. However, the sports body's annual meeting on Tuesday concluded without discussing the ICC election.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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