Clear Stand on Rajiv Shukla

Vijyender Sharma

DHARMSHALA--Reacting to allegations by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that cricket had been reduced to ‘satta’ in the state, HPCA spokesperson Sanjay Sharma today said it seemed the CM’s allegation was directed at senior Congress leader and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla.

Addressing a press conference at the international cricket stadium in Dharamsala, Sanjay Sharma said since Rajiv Shukla, who was a minister in the UPA government and was now in charge of the Himachal Congress, had also remained IPL chairman, Virbhadra Singh should clarify if he was making 'satta' allegations against him too.

He alleged that the Dharamsala tourist circuit had lost business worth about Rs 200 crore this year due to IPL matches not being hosted in Dharamsala. He said the hoteliers association of the region had estimated a decline of about 45 per cent in business this year due to IPL matches not being hosted in the state. There are about 8,000 hotel rooms in the Dharamsala tourist circuit. Most of these rooms went for premium rates for about a fortnight due to hosting of IPL cricket matches here.

Besides, the state government had lost revenue of about Rs 30 crore in the form of entry and other direct and indirect taxes due to this, he alleged.

Sharma said the HPCA was a sporting body and had nothing to do with politics. The organisation was being forced to defend itself due to wild allegations being made against it by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, he added.

The way the HPCA was being targeted, it seemed cricket was the main poll plank of the Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll, he said.

He further alleged that the state government had sabotaged hosting of the IPL matches. The letter for permission to hold matches was given to the Himachal DGP, he added. He further sent it to the Kangra SP despite the fact that the district police had no control over the reserve force that was to be deployed for security during matches, he said. The letter was deliberately kept moving around in government offices for about 10 days till the final schedule of IPL matches was chalked out, he said.

Sharma said, "Congress leaders have been asking me to apologise to the state Governor for writing against her to the President of India. I have every right to question the conduct of the Governor for her conduct. In fact, the Governor should apologise to the state's people for granting permission for prosecution of former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal," he said.

The HPCC spokesperson reiterated that three retired IAS officers in the CM’s office were abusing their position to influence the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll. He said the recent incident in which Himachal Pradesh University had written to the Election Commission seeking permission for appointing an administrator in SVSD College, Bhatoli, in Una district was clear illustration of the fact. The move was meant to benefit kin of the retired IAS officer in question, he said.