M A I N   N E W S

MPs condemn punishment

New Delhi, November 22
The punishment to Indian cricketers by match referee Mike Denness figured in both Houses of Parliament today and several members demanded that the team pull out of the South African tour.

The Lok Sabha strongly condemned the punishment to Sachin Tendulkar and five others in the second Test between India and South Africa at Port Elizabeth.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the House, Mr Kirti Azad (BJP) said the “discriminitory action” taken against the Indian cricketers was not only unjust but also “smacked of racism”.

He said it was the cricketers in the sub-continent who were singled out often in the name of discipline for punishment by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The government should stand by the BCCI which had taken a strong stand on the issue and demanded removal of the match referee for the remaining series in South Africa, he said.

Former Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress), Mr Sontosh Mohan Dev (Congress), Mr Mohan Rawaley (Shiv Sena) and Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (RJD) also condemned the punishment and said the Indian team should be asked to abandon the tour.

Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi (Congress) and Mr Somnath Chatterjee (CPM), however, sought restraint. While condemning the action taken by the match referee they said the team should not be asked to pull out from the Test series in view of the excellent relations between India and South Africa.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pramod Mahajan said he would convey the sentiments of the members to the BCCI and Minister for Sports Uma Bharati.

In the Rajya Sabha, the issue was raised through a special mention by Mr C.P. Thirunavukkarasu (DMK) who expressed serious concern over the imposition of penalty on the Indian cricketers. The team should pull out of the South African series immediately, he said.

Mr Rajiv Shukla said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was in constant touch with the South African board.

Mr Shukla, a member of the BCCI, said if the team was asked to abandon the series and come back it would invite a two-million-dollar penalty and a six-month ban from playing international cricket. The BCCI would have to consider this aspect also before taking any decision. It had approached the South African cricket board which was supporting India’s concern.

“But we must get some assurance from the South African board,” he added.

He said the board had urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) that Mike Denness be recalled and his decision kept in abeyance. But both demands had been rejected.

In a move aimed at assuaging the ruffled feelings of the visiting Indian cricket team, the South African Government today said neither the United Cricket Board (UCB) nor the national team was involved in the controversy triggered by punishment meted out to Sachin Tendulkar and five others by match referee Mike Denness. UNI