BCCI trying to subvert Lodha Panel recommendations, says Aditya Verma

New Delhi: Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) secretary Aditya Verma today said that he has filed an application in the Supreme Court (SC) questioning BCCI’s ‘contradictory stance’ on the rival state association BCA. The application will be heard by a bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Fakir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifula, along with BCCI’s reply as regards why the board is against implementing all the recommendations of the Justice Lodha Committee. [caption id=“attachment_2614422” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Aditya Verma. Photo: Naresh Sharma/Firstpost[/caption] His application comes after BCCI invited Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) representative Mrityunjay Tiwary to attend its Special General Meeting (SGM) on February 19. “BCCI has illegally called one section (BCA) and allowed him to sit in the SGM. The stand of BCCI is in violation of Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Panel,” said Verma in a statement. Verma pointed out that the Justice Lodha Committee report was filed before the SC in January. The committee had recommended to the board to bring Bihar back into its fold and grant the state a full member status. It had also recommended that any internal feud of Bihar cricket administrators should either be resolved at the BCCI Ombudsman or court. Verma added that on January 9, senior board official Ratnakar Shetty flew down to Patna on an invitation from Abdul Bari Siddiqui, the Finance Minister of the state, and publicly said that BCCI recognises BCA, the rival association of CAB. Siddiqui is the convener of BCA. “The arrogance of BCCI has reached such great heights that it is not even paying heed to the highest court of the land,” said Verma further. The CAB secretary pointed out that in 2009, the BCCI had expressed dissatisfaction over alleged mismanagement of funds in BCA following which the association was dissolved by the then president of the association, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and an ad hoc committee was constituted under Siddiqui. Subsequently, the CAB was formed by Ajay Narayan Sharma and Ravi Shankar Prasad. Both the associations wrote to BCCI for recognition. The issue is yet to be resolved. Verma further pointed out that in 2014 and 2015, in two separate affidavits filed before the SC, the BCCI had specifically mentioned that neither Siddiqui’s ad hoc committee, nor the rival faction (CAB) was recognised by the board. “In that case, how could Ratnakar Shetty publicly announce that the board recognised BCA and how could a BCA official be inducted into a BCCI SGM,” asked Verma. Replying to a query, Verma dismissed a recent media report that he had been receiving funds from Lalit Modi to carry on his court battle against the board, adding in a lighter vein, “Had he (Modi) offered me money, I would have been more than happy to accept it.” PTI