Western concept of entertainment not of good taste : Biman

Kolkata, Apr 26 (UNI) Joining the fray over cheergirls and citing Swami Vivekananda, West Bengal Left Front Chairman Biman Basu today said the western concept of entertainment being staged on playground smacked of bad taste and it was the result of liberalisation.

Unlike his party peer, West Bengal Sports Minister Subhash Chakraborty, Mr Basu, also CPI(M) State Secretary, however, refrained from making any comment on whether the performance of cheergirls should be banned.

'' Swami Vivekananda said whatever is good in the east must be protected and the good of the west should be imbibed. But the evils of western culture are infiltrating as a result of liberalisation.

That way, this (entertainment with cheerleaders) is of bad taste, '' he told reporters while attending a friendly football match between East Bengal and the Solidarity Committee of Burmese Freedom Fighters.

To a question, whether the cheerleaders' performance should be banned, Mr Basu was evasive : '' I am not in it. This will be decided by those who are supposed to do, '' he said.

Yesterday, Sports Minister Subhash Chakraborty said he was opposed to continuing with the performance by cheergirls and the Government should stop it.

The Minister's voice was echoed by two of his colleagues - PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami and Water Investigation Minister Nandagopal Bhattacharya, who said the on-the-ground dance was against the Indian culture and 'pervert'.

Mr Chakraborty's reaction came after the Navi Mumbai police said the cheerleaders were free to perform in the IPL match to be played on April 27, but action would be taken against the organisers if their act was found to be ''vulgar'' or ''indecent''.

However, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee evaded the controversy, saying he would not comment on it.

UNI KDG SJC RAR HT2002