New twist to IPL Kochi row, Narendra Modi's name figures

New Delhi/Gandhinagar, Apr 15 (PTI) The IPL Kochi
controversy deepened Thursday amid allegations that Gujarat
Chief state Minister Narendra Modi and IPL Commisioner Lalit
Modi had come together to get a new team for Ahmedabad.

Bringing Narendra Modi in the line of fire, Kochi
franchise spokesman Satyajit Gaikwad said everyone knew about
his "nexus" with Lalit Modi and the concerted effort by them
to deprive Kochi of IPL team and get a slot for western Indian
state Gujarat.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, who is also president of the
Gujarat Cricket Association, sought to distance himself from
the controversy fielding one of his ministers to refute the
allegations against him.
"Franchise was awarded to the team following the open
bidding process and in that no cricketing association or GCA
has any role to play," Gujarat minister of state for home,
Amit Shah said in Gandhinagar while rubbishing the allegations
levelled by Gaikwad.
Sticking to his charges, Gaikwad said, "We were told that
we won't be allowed to work."
He claimed that the Adani group and Narendra Modi had a
stake in the Ahmedabad Indian Premier League bid. "After we
won the bid, our investors spoke to (former Board of Control
for Cricket in India chief) Sharad Pawar and asked him which
city to choose. He said 'you can take your pick', so we
decided to take Kochi."
However, a senior Nationalist Congress Party leader,
claimed Pawar had nothing to do with the issue. Speaking on
condition of anonymity, he alleged that aides of Minister of
State of External Affairs Shashi Tharoor were resorting to
such tactics to score some brownie points within Congress by
speaking against NCP and Narendra Modi.
Tharoor is caught in the controversy amid allegations
that his hand was there in Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend,
getting free equity worth Rs 70 crore in IPL Kochi, a charge
vehemently denied by the minister.
The NCP leader said, "the core issue is for what reason
the sweat equity was alloted to Sunanda Pushkar and others.
There are others also whose names have come to the fore. Why
are they getting it?"