As the Indian Premier League controversy continues to rock proceedings in Parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday demanded a probe into the scam by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Addressing a press conference here, the deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, S.S. Ahluwalia, said the entire Opposition in both Houses had demanded that the IPL affairs be investigated by a JPC.
The ongoing searches and investigations by the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate into the IPL, its franchisees, sponsors and others could go on. For, these government departments had their “own responsibilities” to fulfil.
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With Shashi Tharoor having already resigned in the wake of allegations over the Kochi team ownership, Mr. Ahluwalia, without naming anyone, said the heat was turning up on other Central ministers as well.
“A JPC probe, by taking reports of all agencies into account, will ensure that the principles and ethics of a body like the Board of Control for Cricket in India are not misused and maligned in future.”
Responding to persistent questions whether the BJP would also demand the resignation of Nationalist Congress Party leaders and Agriculture and Civil Aviation Ministers Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, Mr. Ahluwalia said it was yet to analyse in depth the allegations levelled against them.
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When it was pointed out that senior BJP leader and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha had told journalists earlier in the day that in order to ensure an impartial probe, those in the circle of suspicion should quit and the ministers should not remain in their positions, Mr. Ahluwalia said: “I do not disagree with his views.”
As the NCP, a key ally of the Congress in the UPA government, tries to put a brave face on the IPL controversy that threatens to cast its shadow over the party's leaders, the government appears concerned about putting in place a strategy to move ahead with the important financial business in Parliament next week.