The Hindu : National : I want Dalmiya out: Buddhadeb

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Tuesday, Aug 01, 2006

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National

I want Dalmiya out: Buddhadeb

Special Correspondent

"His re-election as CAB president is a triumph of evil over good"

Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee

KOLKATA : The re-election of Jagmohan Dalmiya as Cricket Association of Bengal president was a "triumph of evil over good," West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here on Monday.

"The battle will continue. I want him to leave the post and the organisation ... As long as he is there, the future of cricket in Bengal is doomed," Mr. Bhattacharjee said a day after Mr. Dalmiya won a closely fought contest, defeating city Commissioner of Police Prasun Mukherjee.

It was not a battle between individuals but between the forces of good and evil. "Evil had triumphed this time. It does happen at times," he said, adding that cricketers as well as cricket lovers were for a change in the CAB administration.

Before nomination papers were filed for the election last month, Mr. Bhattacharjee sent Sports Minister Subash Chakravarty to Mr. Dalmiya to request him to stand down.

"Whatever I said [then] I had said consciously. In normal circumstances one does not take such a stand. But there are times when it is a crime not to intervene," Mr. Bhattacharjee said.

"I had said [what I had] in the interest of Bengal cricket, the cricketers and to save the Eden Gardens from turning into a condemned stadium."Biman Bose, Secretary of the State committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the "party is in no way involved" with the goings-on in the CAB.

Asked to comment on Mr. Bhattacharjee's outburst, Mr. Bose said he was unaware of what he might have said but would discuss it with him and veteran leader Jyoti Basu soon.

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