Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday ended her public silence on the removal of cricket icon Sourav Ganguly from the post of the BCCI president, hailing him as a “national treasure” and appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the former Team India captain was allowed to contest the election to the post of ICC chairman.
Mamata said the “wrongful” exclusion of Ganguly from a second term as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was “bad and sad”, and underscored how Union home minister Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, was allowed a second term as the secretary of the BCCI.
“This is not only on my behalf, but on behalf of the people of the entire nation, on behalf of cricket-lovers from around the world… Sourav is our gourab (pride), and Sourav has shown exceptional skill, not only in his playing days but also as an administrator,” the chief minister told journalists at the Calcutta airport before leaving for north Bengal.
“He was the BCCI president. The judiciary had issued an order, which had fixed three-year terms for him and the other one that is there… you know, Amit Shah’s son. But I do not know why Amitbabu’s son stayed on. Let him, I do not mind. He is a young boy. I am not the BJP, that I will abuse him daily. If he works well, I will support him. If he does not, I will then catch him,” she added. “But with what objective was Sourav excluded? We want to know this. I still believe that the way he was wrongfully excluded, the only way to compensate for that is to let him contest the ICC election.”
The issue of the chairmanship of the International Cricket Council will be up for discussion at the BCCI annual general meeting on Tuesday. At the meeting, Roger Binny, part of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, will replace Ganguly at the helm of the BCCI.
The Trinamul Congress chairperson has directly appealed to Modi for his intervention so that Ganguly is able to contest the ICC election.
“Jagmohan Dalmiya went from the BCCI to the ICC, Sharad Pawar, too. Sourav himself was a director thrice. He is entitled. Only one or two from India are entitled to go to the ICC,” she said. If Ganguly has to contest the ICC election, the BCCI has to recommend him.
“My humble regards to the Prime Minister. Please take care that Sourav must be allowed to contest the ICC election…. He is being deprived. Why he is being deprived? What is his fault? Everybody knows him, all the countries, all the world,” she added, in English for the benefit of a much wider audience.
“We are proud of him, not only Bengal. He is a Bengali Dada (elder brother), Bengali bhai (younger brother), but he is a pride for the country and the world.”
Mamata’s party has claimed Ganguly’s exclusion is an example of a “political vendetta” of the saffron regime, accusing the BJP of trying to humiliate him after failing to induct him into the party as its face in Bengal.
Till he was hospitalised with cardiac issues, months ahead of the Assembly elections in Bengal, there had been rumours of Ganguly joining the BJP in a leadership role to take on Mamata.
On Monday, Mamata said the treatment meted out to Ganguly had “really shocked” her. “Everybody knows him. Every country, whoever played cricket, everybody knows him. He worked with everybody. He is a popular figure. That’s why he is being deprived? It’s a matter of bad and sad… I am really shocked.”
“So we will request the (Union) government, don’t take it politically, or vindictively. Take a decision. He is not a political party member. Take decision for the cricket, take decision for the sports. That will be our request,” added the chief minister.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari responded with derision to Mamata’s comments. “First, let her remove Shah Rukh Khan as Bengal’s brand ambassador and appoint Sourav Ganguly. Accord the necessary respect and honour to Sourav Ganguly. Do not unnecessarily politicise this.”
