Ganguly as CAB president: Protests outside Eden against CM Mamata

Kolkata, Sep 29: A group of protesters under the banner of Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) today assembled outside Eden Gardens, shouting slogans against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "intervention" in Cricket Association of Bengal.

"We reject government's intervention in autonomous sport bodies... we condemn chief minister's imposing of president and joint-secretary at CAB," the BBD Bagh branch of APDR said in its protest.

Three days after the demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya, Mamata announced Sourav Ganguly as the next CAB president, and Dalmiya's son Avishek as joint secretary, at the state secretariat Nabanna.

Terming it "killing of democracy", APDR general secretary Dhiraj Sengupta said: "Mamata should refrain from interfering in autonomous sport associations.

"Previously too we had seen similar instances when CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was fielding his own candidates for CAB elections. This should stop. Sourav no doubt is the automatic choice but the manner in which it was done puts it in a bad light," he said.

PTI