With Sports Minister Ajay Maken determined to bring Indian cricket under the RTI Act, it's now an all out war between him and one of the world's most powerful cricketing bodies - the BCCI.
The organisation today hit back at Maken, saying the minister was not aware of the 'ground realities' as they have already adopted transparency measures.
Maken, earlier in the day, had reportedly said that he is ready to consider BCCI's reservation on certain clauses of the Draft National Sports (Development) Bill, but wants the Cricket Board to come under the ambit of RTI.
'What do they pay for?'
"What do they mean by they don't get government funds so shouldn't come under RTI? They are indirectly getting government funds. How about the tax exemptions? How about the land they get? How much did they pay for the Ferozeshah Kotla?" said Maken.
"BCCI does not have to pay entertainment tax; they don't pay for the security provided during the matches by the government. Even the lands for the stadiums they use are generally given to them free of cost. So people have the right to know what is happening in the BCCI. People should know certain things because, at the end of the day, their team represents the country," added the minister.
'People will ask question on everything'
Later, BCCI vice president Rajiv Shukla shot back, saying the board's accounts are already in the public domain through their website.
"He (Maken) should find out what's happening at the ground level. He does not know anything. All the information is already on our website. There is no question of hiding or concealing anything. After every AGM, our accounts details are given to media, he said.
"Are you saying that after RTI more transparency would come and everything else was hanky panky before. We had gone to the Income Tax department with our accounts. That's transparency," Shukla said during a TV debate.
Putting up a stout defence, Shukla said it was not feasible to bring BCCI under RTI provisions as people would start asking questions on everything and all.
"There are a dozen decisions that are taken on every cricket tour. You have to be practical. You are trying to open Pandara's Box."
Maken is still hopeful
Maken, meanwhile, sees the first round loss of the Sports Bill as a setback but added that he will try and complete the fine tuning work of the bill as quickly as possible.
"We are waiting for the minutes of the cabinet meeting. Once we get that, we will start reworking the National Sports Development Bill and place it before the cabinet again," Maken said.
The minister did not give a timeframe but admitted that it would no longer be possible to introduce the bill in this monsoon session of the Parliament.
"We are not trying to control any federations. All we want is for them to be transparent and efficient. We want them to come under the RTI and to have age restrictions," he said.
On the age limit of 70 set in the bill for NSF office-bearers, Maken said: "What is their problem with age limit? Doesn't the judiciary, the bureacracy have age limits? Why can't a good example be followed? If someone remains a federation chief for ever, why will vested interests not develop?"
The bill was discussed in the union cabinet on Tuesday. According to reports, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P.Chidambaram supported the bill but Sharad Pawar, who is the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Kapil Sibal, Praful Patel, who also heads the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kamal Nath and Farooq Abdullah were opposed to it.
Pawar, who is also a former BCCI president, threatened to take up the issue with UPA chairman Sonia Gandhi.