Wed Nov 27 17:42:04 UTC 2024: **Lalit Modi Accuses Shashi Tharoor of Threatening Him Over Kochi Tuskers Deal**
NEW DELHI: Former IPL chairman and BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi has leveled fresh accusations against Shashi Tharoor and the Gandhi family, reigniting the controversy surrounding the Kochi Tuskers IPL franchise. Modi alleges that Tharoor threatened him after he inquired about the background of Sunanda Pushkar, a woman who held a 4.75% stake in the franchise’s Rendezvous Sports World.
According to Modi, his concerns about Pushkar prompted Tharoor to issue a threat, suggesting that further investigation could lead to Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids. Modi claims that he had expressed the need to know more about Pushkar to the franchise owners before signing the contract on behalf of the BCCI. He further alleges that BCCI President Shashank Manohar then pressured him to quickly finalize the deal, citing pressure from the Congress leadership.
This incident occurred in 2010, the same year that both Tharoor (as a Union Minister) and Modi (as IPL chairman) lost their respective positions amidst the controversy surrounding the Kochi Tuskers’ ownership. Although the Kochi Tuskers played only one season (2011) before being dissolved, the controversies surrounding the franchise continue. Modi’s latest revelation, shared during an interview, has once again thrust the issue into the limelight. The details of the franchise’s shareholding, including Pushkar’s stake, were previously revealed by Modi on Twitter, causing a major political storm and Tharoor’s resignation.
First Piper 