Prime Minister to check all facts on Tharoor's role in IPL auction

Washington, Apr 14 (ANI): Amid protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding a CBI probe and sacking of Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor for his alleged role in the Indian Premier League auction, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Wednesday said he would not go by unconfirmed reports and take appropriate action against Tharoor only after checking all the facts.

"I have heard about the allegations against Tharoor. I do not have all the facts before me," said Dr Singh at a press conference in Washington when asked about the demands for the sacking of Tharoor.

"When I go back (on Saturday), I will get all the facts, and in the light of those, if any action is necessary, I think that would be the proper way to proceed. I cannot go by hearsay or what is appearing in the various columns of the newspapers," Dr Singh added before winding up his four-day US visit, where he attended the Nuclear Security Summit.

The BJP had on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into Tharoor's role in the IPL auction.

Describing Tharoor's link with the new Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kochi, the BJP said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should order a CBI probe and sack Tharoor.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said of Tharoor that, "It is a patent abuse authority by a Minister."

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted equity worth 70 crores in the new Kochi team which was sold for 1530 crores last month.

Further criticizing Tharoor, Prasad said, " Who gave Rs 70 crores equity to Sunanda Pushkar," adding that it is a serious case of corruption.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor, who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied pressurising Modi. (ANI)