West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday appealed to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to reconsider ban on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) co-owner and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years. Incidentally, her government has
appointed the film star as the brand ambassador of West Bengal, and the chief minister is a self confessed fan of Shah Rukh Khan.
The chief minister said that Shah Rukh was there in the stadium with the kids and whatever happened there just because of some misunderstanding.
Earlier on the day, the Mumbai Cricket Association banned Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years for misbehaving with its officials and violating its rules.
The “unanimous” decision was taken at the MCA managing committee meeting called to discuss action on Khan who was involved in a skirmish with the security and officials of the association after KKR’s victory over Mumbai Indians on Wednesday night.
MCA President Vilasrao Deshmukh, who chaired the meeting, said that his association was sending out a message that misbehaviour of any kind would not be tolerated.
“If rules are violated, action will be taken. It does not depend who the individual is. It’s a message to everyone whosoever he or she may be that stern action will be taken if there is any misbehaviour,” he told a press conference.
Khan had, however, had denied he had misbehaved and acted only after children, including his kids, were “manhandled” by the security staff.
“How can he go inside the ground without proper accreditation. Even I can’t go inside the ground if not invited for presentation ceremony,” he said.
“We have handed a five-year ban on him and it was a unanimous decision. It applies to any match whether domestic or international at the Wankhede,” he said.
Asked if BCCI can reverse this decision to ban Khan, Deshmukh said, “We have taken a decision to protect the dignity of our association. BCCI is our parent body and we have written to them informing what had happened. We have no control over BCCI’s decision. We are also an independent body with the Wankhede being our property.”
IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, however, said that a final decision will be taken by the BCCI.
“State bodies can only recommend but a final decision has to be taken by the BCCI. When the matter comes to BCCI, the Board will decide (on the ban),” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Deshmukh said that many MCA officials were present at the time of the fracas and they have expressed their strong views against Khan in the meeting.
Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan (2R) brushes aside a security guard at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee
“There were a lot of MCA officials present at the time of fracas. Nothing more was needed to prove that he (Khan) misbehaved. The Assistant Commissioner of Police himself was present and he said Khan was drunk,” he said.
Asked if there was still a chance of the ban being reconsidered, Deshmukh said, “There is no question of that.
Khan did not make any representation to us, nor apologise. He could also have filed a police complaint but he did not do that.
Khan on Thursday rejected allegations that he misbehaved with stadium officials and security at the Wankhede stadium and said that he deserved an apology. “They should apologise to me,” Shah Rukh told reporters. He alleged that the staff at the stadium was high handed and that they misbehaved with children including little girls.
“It won’t change my life if I am not allowed into the stadium,” SRK said.
–PTi