Karnataka legislators demand probe into tax fraud, 'obscene' dance in IPL

They have demanded an investigation against IPL for alleged tax evasion. They have also criticised obscene dances by cheerleaders and the ‘neglect’ of Kannada during the matches held in Bangalore on March 16 and 18.

What really ticked the legislators off was that the IPL’s organisers and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had issued them cheap Rs49 passes to watch the first match.They called this a “humiliation”.



IPL’s organisers clarified that the passes were meant for VIPs only. But it was priced just Rs49 to save on the tax. The legislators are now accusing the IPL of tax evasion and have demanded an investigation against its organisers and the KSCA.

“The IPL organisers have admitted through their clarification that they have undervalued tickets to evade tax” JD(U)’s leader in legislative council MP Nadagouda said on Wednesday. “They are evading tax on tickets given to the legislators. What will be the magnitude of tax being evaded on tickets sold to others?” BJP member Mukhyamantri Chandru said.

They took serious exception to thestatement reportedly made by the IPL’s organisers that the legislators were making baseless allegations because they faced problems in obtaining the passes. “This amounts to a breach of privilege of legislators and is an insult,” Chandru said. He demanded that the chairman of the legislative council refer the issue to the privileges committee to take appropriate action against the IPL and KSCA authorities. Chandru and Gouda said they had written to the chairman seeking action against them.

They said the IPL was just business and not a sporting event. Liquor was sold during matches, cheerleaders’ dances were obscene, and Kannada was neglected in the stadium, they said. They wanted a detailed probe into all these issues.

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'Injured' Dhoni out of IPL for 10 days - Suresh Raina stand-in skipper

Tags - Dhoni, Injured, IPL, Suresh Raina , stand-in skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ferozshah Kotla, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders,

The Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to sit out of the IPL for 10 days, due to an elbow injury, which he sustained during Tuesday's match against Kolkata Knight Riders.



Dhoni was hit by a rising Shane Bond delivery on his elbow, after which he seemed to be in a bit of bother.

Suresh Raina has been appointed as the stand-in skipper.

Chennai Super Kings take on the Delhi Daredevils at the Ferozshah Kotla next on March 19.

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Sharad Pawar meets Bal Thackeray on IPL

Nationalist Congress Party president and Union Minister Sharad Pawar met Bal Thackeray on Sunday and made an appeal to the Shiv Sena chief to withdraw the Sena threat to Australian players’ participation in the third edition of the IPL cricket tourney.

“Pawar, president of Mumbai Cricket Association, asked Thackeray not to oppose Australian players in IPL,” Sena sources said after the meeting. The 84-year-old Sena chief has agreed to consider the “request” after the BCCI makes a presentation on IPL format and the number of Aussie players taking part.

Mr. Pawar said in Aurangabad earlier in the day that he would appeal to Mr. Thackeray not to bring politics into sports in the backdrop of Sena’s opposition to inclusion of Pakistani and Australian players in IPL.

Mr. Pawar was accompanied by BCCI president Shashank Manohar during his visit to Mr. Thackeray’s residence ‘Matoshree’ in suburban Bandra. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray was also present.

“Bal Thackeray and he (Uddhav) gave us a considerate hearing. We tried to convince him that only one or two Australian players will participate in the IPL matches and by not allowing all IPL matches, it’s the State players (Marathi players) who will lose ultimately,” Mr. Manohar told reporters after the meeting. “Thackeray has asked for a detailed presentation on the issue which we will be providing in couple of days and thereafter he would consider our request.”

The meeting has created ripples in the State political circles, as both NCP and Sena are in an uneasy partnership with their respective allies. But NCP spokesman S P Tripathi said no political significance be attached to the meeting. “The meeting, in many ways, sent a signal that neither the Congress nor the BJP can take their allies for granted,” a NCP leader said. -- PTI

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