Lalit Modi Exit Orchestrated by N. Srinivasan, Says Ex-IPL Boss's Supporter
Mehmood Abdi, deputy president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association, said Lalit Modi is still the boss and claimed that the majority is still with the former BCCI vice-president.
After Rajasthan Cricket Association sacked Lalit Modi as its president on Saturday, one of his closest aides in the federation and his lawyer, Mehmood Abdi lashed out, insisting that the exit has been orchestrated by former BCCI president N. Srinivasan.
"Let these disgruntled elements do whatever they want, nothing will happen," he told NDTV.
Srinivasan and Modi, once the key men in Indian cricket's power corridors, have shared a strained relationship since the latter was dumped as IPL boss in 2010. A year after, in 2011, Srinivasan took over as BCCI president and Modi has rarely missed a chance to hit out at the Tamil Nadu cricket strongman. (Modi Exit Set to Bring Back Rajasthan into BCCI Fold)
Modi has accused Srinivasan of being involved in match-fixing and said everyone associated with him was guilty by association. When Srinivasan's son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was charged with betting on his IPL team, Modi had said the buck stops with Srinivasan because he allowed fixing to go on. (Also read: Lalit Modi hits back - Full statement)
After Srinivasan was appointed the first Chairman of the International Cricket Council in June this year, Modi had come down heavily on the decision and said it was a sad in world cricket.
Abdi, who is also Modi's lawyer claimed that the meeting was 'completely illegal.' He went on to say that there was no question of Modi being removed because the majority was still on their side.
In a sensational development on Saturday, Modi was removed from RCA's top post with a rebel group led by local BJP leader Amin Pathan taking over the reins.
On a day of hectic developments, Pathan was elected as the Acting President by the majority of the members in an extraordinary general body meeting, bringing a dramatic end to Modi's tenure almost five months after he was elected to the top post.
However, Modi later hit out at the decision, calling the meeting illegal as a mandatory 21-day notice had not been given. He has also 'suspended' Pathan, claiming to enjoy the full confidence of the RCA.