New By Uttarakhand Sandesh 2021-02-17

International Vedic School To Be Built On Banks Of Bhagirathi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister

Amid the row following the resignation of Uttarakhand state cricket team coach Wasim Jaffer after which an office-bearer of Cricket Association of Uttarakhand (CAU) accused him of "communal bias", chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday ordered an inquiry in the matter. Rawat had met CAU officials at his official residence in Dehradun on Sunday evening. Darshan Singh Rawat, the chief minister’s media coordinator, confirmed the development. "On Sunday evening, the CM had met few officials of CAU at his residence who apprised him of the matter," he said. "After listening to them, he ordered an inquiry in the whole matter. Once the inquiry report comes, he would take the required action," said Rawat. The chief minister’s order for a probe came after a tweet by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in which he did not name any person or organization. Gandhi in his tweet said, "In the last few years, hate has been normalised so much that even our beloved sport cricket has been marred by it. India belongs to all of us. Do not let them dismantle our unity." The state Congress meanwhile, accused the BJP led state government of communalising the sport. "If the CAU would have raised objections on Jaffer's coaching on merit or demerits then it would have been okay. But leveling communal charges against him is totally unacceptable. Under the BJP rule even a sport is being communalised which is not healthy for Uttarakhand's cricket," said Suryakant Dhasmana, Congress state vice-president. The row erupted after Jaffer resigned from the position of state team coach on February 8 citing "interference and bias of selectors and CAU office bearers in team selection and promoting non-deserving players." He was appointed as the coach in June last year on a one-year contract. Following his resignation, CAU secretary Mahim Verma alleged that "Jaffer had been promoting players from a particular community and brought a Muslim cleric among the players for Friday prayers" which Jaffer completely refuted saying, "The communal angle brought in is very sad."