'BCCI cannot be under RTI if it does not take grant from government'

Former Indian cricket captains Kapil Dev and Mohammed Azharuddin Tuesday favoured the BCCI becoming a National Sports Federation and falling under the purview of the RTI Act, as proposed in the National Sports (Development) Bill.

The Bill will come up for discussion in the Cabinet on Tueand after getting the clearance, it is expected to be introduced in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament.

BCCI, which is an autonomous body, and some other sports organisations such as Indian Olympic Association (IOA) have opposed the legislation but Kapil said the cricket body should not be thinking of defying the law.

"If government formulates a rule, the BCCI should follow the framework of the guidelines and I believe BCCI can work independently but must always toe the government line," Kapil, India's first World Cup winning captain, said at a seminar organised by the Confederation of the Indian Industries (CII).

Azharuddin, a Congress MP from Moradabad, said BCCI should not be exempted from the provision of the law.

"It is good for sports bodies and their professional running. It (law) should be for all Sports Federations and there should be no exception," he told reporters outside Parliament.

However, BCCI is still adamant and not ready to be covered by the legislation.

"I have not seen the draft Bill. Show me the draft Bill. How can it be under RTI when it does not take any grant from the government," BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla said.