BCCI’s decision to shift IPL finals from Eden Gardens to Ahmedabad ‘politically motivated’: Aroop Biswas

Kolkata: The BCCI’s decision to shift the Indian Premier League (IPL) finals from the Eden Gardens to the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad has sparked a fresh political row with the state Sports minister Aroop Biswas calling the move “politically motivated.”

Biswas held the Centre responsible for the BCCI’s decision in shifting the match from Kolkata. He alleged that in order to do politics against the Mamata Banerjee government, the cricket lovers here were deprived. “For political reasons, the IPL playoffs and finals were shifted from Eden Gardens. The Playoff match was scheduled to take place on June 1. BCCI claimed that matches were shifted due to inclement weather prediction. This was not true.”

The BCCI claimed that the onset of southwest monsoon and the unpredictable cloudbursts in southern and eastern India as the reason behind the decision to shift the venues for the playoffs and the final.

Biswas during a Press conference on Thursday produced forecasts made by the MeT department to pin the BCCI’s reasons behind shifting the high-profile match. The city’s police commissioner Manoj Verma was by Biswas’ side. “It is to inform you that the city forecast for Kolkata for May 20 to May 30 will be available from May 14 onwards,” Biswas said. He further pointed out: “The forecast for June 1 will be available from May 26 onwards. The IMD has informed that their office has not issued any forecast for Kolkata city for the first week of June. Since when have the BCCI and IPL governing council turned

into weathermen?”

“It is evident that Bengal’s cricket lovers are being deprived by moving out the match from the hallowed Eden Gardens,” Biswas added further. New Chandigarh and Ahmedabad were selected for the qualifier 1 and the final because of the lowest possible chance of precipitation.

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) too had sent a report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) citing that around June 3 dry weather was predicted in the region, though the BCCI did not want to take chances.

Earlier, BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar on social media claimed that the matches were shifted from Kolkata due to law and order issues. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma during the Press conference said: “Seven matches were held in Eden Gardens. No untoward incident took place. All enjoyed the matches. Only on the day of Ram Navami there was an issue.”

Biswas on the hand said: “In each IPL match, around 60,000-65,000 spectators watched the matches. There was no question of law and order.”