Modi on turning pitch

With Opposition parties lining up in Parliament to attack the Indian Premier League,the government today told Lok Sabha that an investigation into the sources...

With Opposition parties lining up in Parliament to attack the Indian Premier League IPL,the government today told Lok Sabha that an investigation into the sources and routes of IPL funding had already begun and no guilty or wrong-doer would be spared.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee,making a statement in the House in response to Opposition demands the morning after the resignation of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor,assured members that appropriate action as per law would be taken if any wrongdoing was found in the manner the IPL was funded.

The concerned department has already started the investigation process. All aspects including sources of funding and routes through which the funds arrived would be looked into. Appropriate action as per law would be taken. No guilty or wrong-doer will be spared, Mukherjee said.

As Lalu Prasad RJD and Mulayam Singh Yadav SP continued to raise the issue,Mukherjee said,We will look into all aspects.

Earlier in the day,Lalu Prasad,Mulayam Singh and Sharad Yadav of JDU led the demand for a probe into the funding of IPL.

Tharoor has resigned8230; it is not enough8230; there is betting going on in the name of IPL, said Lalu Prasad as soon as the House assembled. IPL is the main issue, added Sharad Yadav.

There was some merriment in the House when Lalu Prasad cited the example of his cricketer-son to point out how IPL had demoralised young cricketers.

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Even my son had a stint with IPL,but I was shocked to see him running with towels and beverages to players in the field8230; young players have been reduced to doing this in the IPL8230; I congratulate the Prime Minister for accepting the resignation of Tharoor8230; government should nationalise the IPL and bring it under the sports department, said Lalu Prasad.

Mulayam Singh went to the extent of demanding a ban. This is a foreign game which has ruined national sports the government should ban it.

Gurudas Dasgupta of the CPI said: IPL has become a route of laundering black money. People are white-washing their black money8230; It has become organised gambling8230; I have information that large sums of money are coming via Mauritius,from Dubai,from dubious sources. Swiss bank money is being laundered8230; There should be a thorough probe into the source of funds and the government should set up a JPC to probe it.

The main Opposition BJP,which had remained silent while these leaders were speaking,chipped in at the end,supporting the demand for a probe into the IPL.

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IPL is not promoting cricket. It has the involvement of black money8230; black money stashed in Swiss banks is involved in it8230; there should be a thorough probe, said BJP leader Gopinath Munde.

Meanwhile,Tharoor met Pranab Mukherjee,Defence Minister A K Antony and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal separately. Sources said that Tharoor was planning to make a statement in Parliament and had discussed modalities on presenting his case in the House.