Mumbai, May 17: Mumbai Cricket Association vice-president Ravi Sawant seemed to have the entire cricket fraternity in Maharashtra by his side when he called for a life ban on Shah Rukh Khan from all the three MCA-owned stadia in Mumbai.
By evening, Sawant had declared that it was his “personal opinion” — a reflection of the backroom efforts to resolve the issue.
“Celebrity, owner, or common man — rules apply to all. There were other children in the stands even then. If SRK’s kids had been allowed (to play in the outfield), they would also have wanted the same. Why should we have different rules for different children — just because some are not born into families that own IPL teams?” asked Sawant.
Sawant’s statement seemed to suggest that someone did catch hold of a child’s hand. “If trying to restrain a running child by holding her arm is what SRK calls manhandling, then I do not know what to say,” Sawant said.
Later in the evening, a complaint was filed by Vikas Dalvi, a security guard posted at the Wankhede Stadium, who was allegedly manhandled.
“The police have booked Shah Rukh and two associates for criminal intimidation and causing voluntary hurt. They will be called for questioning. Eyewitnesses will also be called. So will be MCA officials,” said a police spokesperson.
“I have called for an urgent committee meeting and we shall discuss the matter following which we will decide the course of action,” MCA chief and Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh told reporters.
Sources in the Congress said Deshmukh is expected to try and defuse the controversy tomorrow. The final decision will be taken by the MCA managing committee next week before it is forwarded to the BCCI. Shah Rukh had played a crucial role in resolving the stand-off between Sahara and the cricket board in the run-up to the ongoing IPL season.
IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said he was trying to “resolve the fiasco”.
Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI’s chief administrative officer, called Shah Rukh’s response “unprovoked” but refused to take sides on the matter.
Some saw an attempt to deflect attention from the fallout of the spot-fixing sting. Cricketer-turned-MP Kirti Azad said in Delhi: “This is a BCCI ploy to hush up bigger controversies.”
Azad told The Telegraph this evening: “Isn’t it the double standard of the BCCI that it investigates charges of match fixing and illegal money transactions itself and goes to the police in Shah Rukh’s case? Is the BCCI an investigating agency? Why was an FIR not lodged on those serious charges?”
Asked if he was defending Shah Rukh, Azad said: “I have nothing to do with him or any other franchisee. Let the law takes its own course. But do you think the Mumbai officials had gone to the police if the brawl didn’t involve a big star like Shah Rukh? Why were the children accompanying Shah Rukh stopped when the franchisees pay for the facilities? The MCA officials had no business to be there on the ground.”
RJD leader Lalu Prasad said: “It is a one-sided version. Shah Rukh’s version should also be heard.”
