Wednesday, May 5, 2010

A new twist in Indian sports

Is there a code of conduct for ministers who hold posts in sports associations? That's what the Bombay High Court has asked the union government to explain.
The court has also asked that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar be made a respondent, along with suspended IPL Chairman Lalit Modi and current IPL Chief Chiryau Amin, to a case filed by a member of the Shiv Sena.  
The case being heard is a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which challenges the Maharashtra government's decision to waive any Entertainment Tax for the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament which just finished. The exemption has cost the government several crores, and many have alleged that the decision was heavily influenced by Pawar, whose Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) forms the Maharashtra government along with its ally and senior partner, the Congress.
The Maharashtra government's decision not to levy 25 per cent entertainment tax on IPL matches cost the state Rs 12 crores.Pawar is also a major practitioner of power in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) whose sub-committee, the IPL governing council, organizes the cricket tournament, now worth four billion dollars.The court has asked for Pawar to be added as a respondent so that he can answer the allegations against him.
The Bombay High Court will next hear the case on June 22.

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