Sonia Gandhi supported Shashi Tharoor: Lalit Modi blames Congress pressure during Kochi Tuskers IPL controversy

Shashi Tharoor, Lalit Modi Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has made fresh allegations regarding the controversy surrounding the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise in 2010, claiming political pressure was put on him when he questioned the ownership structure of the team and the role of Sunanda Pushkar.In an interview with news agency ANI, Lalit Modi claimed that when he tried to stop the Kochi consortium from entering the IPL over what he considered an unfair share arrangement involving Pushkar, the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government turned against him.Asked who supported Congress leader Shashi Tharoor during the controversy, Lalit Modi said, “Sonia Gandhi. All guns were pointed at me from all sides. Ahmed Patel called me; Pranab Mukherjee called me in those days… I was friendly with each of them. Rajiv Shukla came to me and told me, do it.”According to Lalit Modi, concerns arose after the Kochi consortium won the franchise rights with an offer of US$350 million. He argued that the financial structure of the consortium raised questions because some shareholders paid the full cost, while another stakeholder received equity without contributing proportionately.Recalling the discussions with the consortium members, Lalit Modi said, “All the shareholders were there except a lady Sunanda Pushkar. You are giving 25% shares to a lady named Sunanda Pushkar. Who is she? You are giving up 15% income. Who is she?”He went on to say, “How can anyone pay $350 million for a consortium where 75% of the shareholders pay 100% of the costs and someone else gets 25% of the free equity?”Lalit Modi claimed that the value of Pushkar’s stake skyrocketed once the franchise was granted. “Her 10 rupees stake the day she got the team was worth 1 lakh rupees. Their 10 rupees stake was worth 1 paisa. I knew it was going to collapse. And what happened? It happened in two years,” he said.

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He also claimed that during the meeting in Bengaluru, he refused to sign the franchise agreement until he knew the identity of all the shareholders. Recalling the episode, he said, “I had no idea who Sunanda Pushkar was. I asked the consortium members, ‘Who is she?’ One guy says he’s the kid of a car dealer, a famous marketing person. I said, ‘Hello, I’m a marketing person in India and I don’t know who he is.Lalit Modi further claimed that the then External Affairs Minister Shashi Tharoor called him later.“Shashi Tharoor called me on the phone,” Lalit Modi recalled. “He says, ‘Lalit, don’t ask about Sunanda Pushkar. She is my good friend.’ I asked why, and he said, “If you do, I’ll have you mugged in the morning.” I said, ‘Screw it. Who the hell do you think you are? You may be the Foreign Secretary of India, but don’t you dare ever tell me that.’ I slammed the phone down and said I wasn’t going to sign.’Lalit Modi also claimed that he supported Kochi’s entry into the IPL, despite Kerala not having a stadium to meet the requirements at the time.“Tharoor wooed me to do it that time. He came to my house. He was smooth-talking, no doubt. I fell for it,” he said.He further claimed that BCCI President Shashank Manohar then called him late at night and instructed him to sign the franchise agreement immediately. Lalit Modi said he wanted to delay the signing until the next morning but was overruled.“I told him, ‘Shashank, I will sign this agreement under duress. And I’m going to make a note of it on the document the president is making me sign.” And I noted that,” he said.Speaking about his exchanges with Sunanda Pushkar on social media before her death in 2014, Lalit Modi said: “That morning, Sunanda interacted with me on Twitter…she said, ‘Should I reveal it? I said, “Go ahead and reveal it.”He also claimed that he never spoke to Pushkar personally.Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel suite in New Delhi on 17 January 2014.The Kochi franchise was terminated by the BCCI in 2011 after playing only one IPL season. Kochi, owned by KCPL and RSW, finished eighth among 10 teams in IPL 2011. Tharoor resigned as External Affairs Minister in April 2010 following a controversy.