Reacting angrily to Greg Chappell’s remark that “they (MPs) are entitled to make any comment they like, that’s what they are paid to do in Parliament”, MPs cut across party lines to slam the Team India coach — Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Choudhary even threatened a privilege motion while Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said “let nobody lecture us” — while Left members from West Bengal even warned BCCI that if it did not move against the coach, they would ask the government and Parliament to act.

“I don’t think Chappell’s contract with the BCCI allows him immunity to say anything he wants against MPs and Parliament. BCCI will have to take a decision on Chappell, and if it doesn’t then the government and Parliament will have to,” said Mohammad Salim, CPM’s deputy leader in Lok Sabha.

Aware that the remarks would be seen in the light of the Left’s espousal of Sourav Ganguly —- over the weekend CPM MP Brinda Karat once again demanded Ganguly’s return to the team —- Salim quickly took up the larger cause of Indian sport, asking for higher resources to other disciplines and greater accountability from the cricket team against the background of the “stepmotherly treatment” to other sports.

“Other games are suffering because of cricket. So, not merely Parliament but even those who play other games should criticize the cricket team if it does not perform. Greg Chappell has no right to say anything he wants against MPs. There should be more transparency and accountability from him,” Salim said.

... contd.