Tharoor denies he told Modi not to ask Kochi IPL details

New Delhi, April 13 (PTI) India's Union Minister Shashi
Tharoor, locked in a fresh controversy around the Kochi IPL
team which he helped set up, Tuesday hit back at IPL boss
Lalit Modi alleging he had made attempts to pressure the
winning consortium to abandon their bid for the Kerala outfit.
Tharoor also denied that he had told Modi not to ask
details about owners of the consortium led by Rendezvous that
bought the new franchisee.
In a statement, the minister of state for external
affairs trained his guns on the powerful cricket board
official alleging that various attempts were made by Modi and
others to pressure the members of the consortium to abandon
their bid in favour of another city in a different state.
According to reports, Ahmedabad was being mentioned as
the other city.
"I deny Mr Lalit Modi's allegation that I called him
during his meeting with investors in the Kochi consortium in
Bangalore on Saturday night in order to press him not to
question the composition of the consortium," Tharoor said.
Voicing his displeasure at the turn of events which saw
him pitted against Lalit Modi, Tharoor also tweeted, "I have
had enough."
"Rendezvous includes a number of people including many I
have never met, and Sunanda Pushkar, whom I know well," he
said. Tharoor is reportedly planning to marry Sunanda.
Rendezvous bought the franchise for the Indian Premier
League (IPL) Kochi team for USD 333 million.
In his tweet on Monday, Modi had not only publicly
disclosed the names of the owners of the consortium that
bought the franchisee but had also alleged that he was told by
Tharoor not to ask who these shareholders were. (More) PTI