Former legendary Indian captain and veteran left-arm spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi has written a letter to the President of Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), Rohan Jaitley to remove his name from the stands at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground of Arun Jaitley Stadium. The letter has been sent after DDCA’s announcement about installing a statue of the former head of the state association, Arun Jaitley at the stadium.
A stand at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was named after Bishan Singh Bedi in 2017 to applaud his contribution to Indian and Delhi cricket. Bedi and Arun Jaitley were often at loggerheads during Jaitley’s lifetime. The cricketer always had alleged Jailey regarding corruption and misappropriation of funds during his tenure at the helm of DDCA.
Bishan Singh Bedi has also asked the association to revoke his lifetime membership at DDCA and said, “I pride myself as a man of immense tolerance and patience but all that I’m afraid, is running out. DDCA has truly tested me and forced me to take this drastic action. So, Mr. President, I request you to remove my name from the stand named after me with immediate effect. Also, I hereby renounce my DDCA membership.”
Arun Jaitley, the BJP stalwart, was the DDCA president for 14 years, from 1999 to 2013, before quitting cricket administration and getting into politics. The state association has planned to install a six-foot statue of the politician at the Kotla Stadium to honour his memory.
Last year, after the Politician’s demise, the state association renamed it to Arun Jailey Stadium, however Bedi during that time also raised his concerns about the decision. To put his argument into context, he said, “After the Feroze Shah Kotla was named hurriedly & most undeservingly after Late Arun Jaitley my reaction then was maybe somehow good sense might prevail to keep Kotla sacrosanct. How wrong I was”. Bedi also said since the late administrator was primarily a politician, it’s the Parliament that needs to ‘remember him for posterity.”