Now CM in IPL row,Shah refutes charges

“GCA or its president (Modi) has nothing to do with the entire controversy. Allegations levelled against us are baseless,” Shah,who is also vice-president of GCA,told reporters here. “Franchise was awarded to the team following an open bidding process,and in that,no cricket association or GCA has any role to play,” he said,refuting the allegations levelled by Gaekwad.

“These allegations were levelled not by promoters of the Kochi team but by political persons,and cricket should be above politics,” Shah said. Asked if a meeting was held between Lalit Modi,Gautam Adani — one of the bidders for Ahmedabad team — and Narendra Modi before the bidding process started in Ahmedabad,Shah said: “I am not aware of any such meeting. Such meetings have no meaning as far as open bid system is concerned.”

In reply to another question on whether the GCA had backed the Adani group in bidding for the Ahmedabad IPL team,the minister said it was an open bidding where backing was not required. To a question whether Gujarati promoters of Kochi team had met the Chief Minister and offered to shift base to Ahmedabad,Shah said he was not aware of any such meeting.

Sticking to his charges,Gaekwad said the Adani group and Narendra Modi had a stake in the Ahmedabad IPL bid. “After we won the bid,our investors spoke to (former BCCI chief) Sharad Pawar and asked him which city to choose. He said ‘you can take your pick’,so we decided to take Kochi.”

Senior Congress leader and former GCA president Narhari Amin also alleged that Lalit Modi was trying to thwart the Kochi franchise at the behest of the CM. He said the entire controversy stemmed from Adani group’s failure to secure the Ahmedabad franchise.

“I ask on whose direction is Lalit Modi doing this? Lalit Modi has attachment to the BJP. Everybody knows how close he is to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje,” he said. Asked if he meant Narendra Modi was behind it,Amin said “yes”,but refused to elaborate. He further alleged that before the bidding,the CM had organised a meeting between Lalit Modi and Gautam Adani at the Motera stadium. “They had a closed door meeting for about an hour where Lalit briefed Adani to bid Rs 1,400-1,450 crore for the Gujarat team.”

Commenting on the controversy,Sports Minister M S Gill said “it is just not cricket”. “Accountability should be there. Democracy applies everywhere. Democracy is like a sunflower which seeks sunshine. Therefore all institutions should work accordingly,” he said.