The sports ministry has its task cut out as it readies itself for an overhaul of the draft. While there were suggestions that the generic terms might have intended to cover all tournaments, experts felt such lapses would be easily countered by smart lawyers during litigations.
The sports ministry drafted its response to the law ministry on Wednesday seeking changes. A ministry source said: "The word 'dishonesty' hasn't been well defined in the draft. The scope of the law also needs to specifically mention tournaments so that there is no ambiguity at all."
Earlier in the day, the ministry categorically stated that it had made no recommendation to the law ministry to legalise betting in the country. Refuting reports in sections of the media, the ministry said: "A section of the media has reported that the ministry is in favour of a law regularising betting in sporting events in the country.
The ministry clarifies that betting is a state subject and cannot be part of a central law. The ministry has made no recommendations to regularise betting to the law ministry or to any other organization."
Secretary (sports) PK Deb told TOI that the ministry was in no position to recommend that betting be legalised at this point. Meanwhile, sources felt the whole issue had been blown out of proportion.
"The law ministry got feelers that the draft law against match-fixing may be totally overhauled by the sports ministry. Maybe that led to the feeling that the sports ministry was trying to project its own ideas," the sources said.
Apparently, the sports ministry made an informal suggestion that a legislation against match-fixing would work well when betting was legalised in the country. It is learnt that though the law ministry was seemingly in consonance with the point, it said the present political scenario did not permit such a move.
While it was a mere disagreement at that juncture, the sports ministry's bid to drastically alter the first draft may have led to heartburns, sources said.
In an obvious effort at damage control, the ministry added: "The ministry is in favour of a law to curb malpractices in all sports. It will send its comments on the bill drafted by the law ministry and is looking forward to working with the law ministry for the development of a comprehensive law against match and spot-fixing."
Srinivasan should quit, says sports ministry
Breaking its silence, the sports ministry on Wednesday asked BCCI president N Srinivasan to resign from his post on moral grounds as it felt there was a conflict of interest in the board's inquiry into allegations of spot-fixing.
"The ministry of youth affairs and sports has observed with considerable disquiet the reports about match and spot fixing in cricket. BCCI is inquiring into allegations of match and spot fixing.
"As there is a conflict of interest in this inquiry, therefore BCCI president should tender his resignation on moral grounds, pending the outcome of the inquiry," the ministry said in a statement.
The sport's ministry's statement followed calls for Srinivasan's resignation from various quarters in the wake of the latest scandal to hit the sport.
0 comments:
Post a Comment