'Lalit Modi unfit to run cricket'

NEW DELHI: Minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor may be questioned by his party on his claims that he had only “helped” the Kochi crowd in the light of Pushkar owning 19% of the 25% free equity held by Rendezvous in the Kochi consortium, amounting to about 5% of the overall equity.

In a strong attack on IPL commissioner Lalit Modi’s alleged pressure tactics, Tharoor’s aide said Modi had virtually said during this meeting he would ensure that the franchise became “unworkable”.

Tharoor’s OSD Jacob Joseph was quoted by a TV channel as saying that Modi threatened the Kochi representatives — he allegedly said, ‘‘I am going to make sure you guys get the worst name (for the team), worst jerseys, and that you will not get access to the great players.’’

Tharoor himself said the Bangalore meeting was necessitated because Modi had held up approval to the franchisee‘‘ by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested.’’

The minister added: ‘‘The consortium members flew to Bangalore for what they had been told would be a routine exercise.
Instead, they were submitted to a barrage of questions which led some to suspect that Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Modi.’’

On the Bangalore meeting, the Tharoor aide said: “The meeting took place close to midnight after Modi made us wait through the afternoon and evening.”

Sources said that Sunanda Pushkar, who has been seen in Tharoor’s company at social occasions, has business interests in Dubai where she is connected with a real estate company. It is understood that Tharoor and Pushkar were introduced by a Dubai-based businessman, Sunny Verki.

Tharoor said he knew Pushkar well. ‘‘ On the question of my interests in the franchise, I repeat that I am proud to have helped the consortium come to Kerala. I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team. Whatever my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I do not intend to benefit in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage,’’ he said.

The minister’s aide said Modi’s alleged bais was apparent from the word go, as a day before the actual bidding, he asked the consortium to quote a price of $297 million for the bid. ‘‘He had no business to suggest this. We did not go by that because we knew that the eventual price would be much higher. In hindsight, we know that he was trying to scuttle our chances,’’ said the aide.

The team eventually won the rights for Kochi franchisee for $333 million. According to a TV channel , Tharoor’s OSD Jacob Joseph said that Modi was unfit to run cricket as he had been charged and convicted of drug possession in the US and demanded that the ownership of Rajasthan Royals — the IPL chief is allegedly close to the team — be revealed.

Joseph told the TV channel that ‘‘ Why isn’t he talking about two other teams which are registered in Mauritius? Why is he insisting only on the ownership of Kochi franchisee? He has brought disrepute to IPL and cricket.’’

Krishna, Rajiv Shukla meet Sonia

External affairs minister S M Krishna met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding his deputy Shashi Tharoor. Krishna drove past waiting newsmen without answering any question from them outside Gandhi’s residence.

Congress MP Rajiv Shukla, who is also vice president of the BCCI, also had a meeting with Gandhi. Shukla, however said he did not discuss the Tharoor issue with the Congress president.

“This issue was not discussed with her,” Shukla said after meeting Gandhi. Tharoor on Tuesday hit back at IPL boss Lalit Modi alleging he had made attempts to pressure the winning consortium to abandon their bid for the Kerala outfit. Tharoor also denied that he had told Modi not to ask details about owners of the consortium led by Rendezvous that bought the new franchisee.