It's time Parliament passed the sports bill

The washing of BCCI's dirty linen in public surprises no one. The ICC wrote to BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, informing him of BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur's proximity to Karan Gilhotra, a Chandigarh-based businessman whose name features on the world's body database for the wrong reasons. Now, Thakur has written to ICC chairman N Srinivasan, asking him to share the list of "unverified suspected bookies" with all BCCI officials so that they can be careful.

I have no doubt about Thakur's innocence and I am sure that this manipulation is being done at the behest of our cleverest 'politician', Srinivasan. The BCCI and its activities can put the most scheming politicians to shame. Little wonder that the shrewdest politicians from our Parliament find comfort in the environs of the BCCI and its state associations.

So who are these social climbers? Individuals who have declared assets of Rs 200 crore within a few years of joining politics are a great example of upward mobility. Where have many of these great men come from?
Lying has become an accepted practice, and a way to grow exponentially, far more than one deserves. Just see all the politicians who are involved in cricket. Union ministers are vying to get into the BCCI. There is clearly a conflict — a Union minister was the IPL commissioner two years ago. He was part of the UPA government. That he is back in the same position is a different matter.

Every day, he is seen hopping from one venue to another to give out trophies. Several ministers would leave their parliamentary work and stand beside Srinivasan, giving an impression that he was the boss of the country. The sports bill, which was brought in by the sports minister Ajay Maken, was scuttled by these senior politicians, and he was not even allowed to table it in the Cabinet meeting.

We have come to a stage where a society registered in Chennai controls the government's policy on cricket. I asked a question in Parliament on March 10 and the reply showed that the Enforcement Directorate is still investigating the irregularities committed by the BCCI and the IPL in the management of cricket in the country, for contravention of Foreign Exchange Management Act.

So far, 29 show cause notices (SCN) have been issued in the matter out of which four SCNs have been adjudicated and a total penalty of Rs 98.35 crore imposed. As to bringing the BCCI under RTI, as a public authority in terms of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, the sports ministry made written submissions to the CIC on December 16, 2011 and January 9, 2012 pleading to bring BCCI under the RTI Act.

The CIC issued a notice for hearing the matter on July 25, 2013. Against the notice of CIC to hear the case, BCCI filed a writ petition WP No.20229/2013 in the Madras high court. The CIC has been cited as a respondent in this case. The HC vide its order dated July 24, 2013, in the aforesaid writ petition, had ordered interim stay of all other proceedings.

Two years have passed and the matter continues to be stayed by the Madras HC since no one has even appealed. This is the way BCCI is able to control the response of even the government.

For lawyers and journalists, misusing legal provisions come naturally. Else, can anyone explain the commissioning of two-member private ex-judges panel to absolve Gurunath Meiyappan?

Conflict of Interest is a situation that has the potential to undermine the impartiality of a person because of the possibility of a clash between the person's self-interest, and professional interest or public interest. By this definition, all acts of the current finance minister can be drawn under the ambit of conflict.

Can we have FMs, ministers and senior MPs as directors in hockey and cricket leagues?

Generating large amounts of money by asking public sector or even private sector to pay up is an easy task. By being a part of one sport or the other, raising money is the objective. Round tripping and defalcation is only a secondary, but easier job.

These politicians, who run away from electoral politics, find this system to their liking. Once they occupy one association, they just do not want to leave it. It is a very cosy club. Getting close to sportspersons and bossing over them is a heavenly feeling. Incompetent people who have never played any sport get sadistic pleasure in making sportspersons go around, and wait upon them.

The need of the hour is to pass the sports bill at the earliest. Lakhs of our are being exploited by the unscrupulous politicians and petty businessmen who have made sports their fiefdom. Third rate and rootless politicians are exploiting the system and the loopholes in law. Just have a few politicians and administrators jailed and there will be sanity all around.