Naidu slams Centre for IPL mess

Training his guns at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the IPL (Indian Premier League) scam to bring the truth behind the murky episode.

Talking to reporters at NTR Trust Bhavan, Naidu said the JPC probe was needed as a large number of big people and Union Ministers were involved in the scam.

 “Why did not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee initiate action against the guilty,” he questioned.

 Naidu said the scam has lowered the prestige of the country at the international level.About Rs 125 crore changed hands in the allotment of broadcasting rights for IPL matches, he pointed out.

 Without the support of Central Ministers and powerful people, the bookies would not have resorted to match-fixings and betting, which involve illegal transaction of big foreign money, Naidu alleged.