From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Apr 1: Free passes for legislators with a value of barely Rs 49 to watch the 20:20 cricket matches held at the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium?

Yes, that is exactly what the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) did. So what’s wrong with free passes of Rs 49 ticket value, one may ask. But the tickets of Rs 49 are of the lowest denomination, which as the union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor had disparagingly tweeted recently as ``cattle class” inviting lot of political flak.

The treatment meted out by the KSCA to the legislators in sending free passes of the lowest denomination value has provoked the MLAs and MLCs into dubbing the move as a ``gross insult.”

The legislators raised the issue during the recent state legislature session, with members cutting across party lines demanding an inquiry against KSCA in the legislative council.

And now, two prominent legislators –  Kannada Development Authority Chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru and Dr M P Nadagouda, both of whom are MLCs belonging to the ruling BJP and JD(U) – have publicly attacked the KSCA for ``insulting” the legislators.

The two MLCs have also criticised the organizers of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which indirectly is an attack against the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar-led Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), for neglecting the state’s official Kannada language during the ongoing tournament in Bangalore.

Addressing presspersons here, Chandru and Nadagouda accused the IPL authorities of ``insulting” the legislators of Karnataka.

Making it clear that the legislators had not asked for passes, they wondered what was the need to send them the tickets with lowest denominations. ``Are the legislators a charity case to be insulted like this?,” they asked.

It may be recalled that when the issue was raised in the legislative council and members sought to move a breach of privilege motion against KSCA and IPL authorities, its chairman Veeranna Mathikatti had reserved his ruling and has since referred it to the Privileges Committee of the House.

Karnataka’s  Sports and Youth Services Minister Gulihatti Shekhar has said the the government would conduct an inquiry into the issue and ask organisers of IPL to desist from behaving in a manner which would hurt the feelings of legislators as well Kannadigas.

However, KSCA held a press conference and justified giving passes of lowest price to legislators on the grounds of saving taxes.

But Chandru and Nadagouda claimed that the KSCA officials evaded entertainment taxes by issuing lowest price tickets to legislators.

They also demanded that a house committee be constituted to examine how many passes had been issued totally by the organisers to all the VIPs and the nature of passes issued to different categories of VIPs.

Pointing out that the land for the Chinnaswamy Stadium had been provided by the state government, Nadagouda said that it was wrong to insult the legislators. ``Let the state government come out with all facts pertaining to the facilities, concessions and benefits granted by it to KSCA over the years,” Nadagouda demanded.