People's Democracy

Shashi Tharoor Must Step Down

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on April 14, 2010.

THE involvement of Shashi Tharoor, minister of state for external affairs, in the Indian Premier League franchise for the Kochi team has raised a number of questions. It now transpires that a person associated with him has got 19 per cent free equity worth Rs 70 crore in the company that led the consortium which got the franchise. 

The IPL is not just a sporting event, but is a big business enterprise in which big money is involved. It is highly inappropriate for a minister in the union government to be involved in such murky dealings. 

It is incumbent upon Tharoor to step down from office till his name is cleared of any unethical or irregular behaviour. 

The UPA government should also explain whether its ministers can be involved in business dealings in the name of IPL. The government should probe the source of certain funds flowing into the tournament and reconsider whether any tax exemptions or concessions are justified for this commercial enterprise.