Indore administration closes road to stadium as minister denied VIP entry for IPL match

The minister had come to watch the match between Punjab and Kolkata

vijay-shah-madhya-pradesh A file photo of Madhya Pradesh education minister Vijay Shah giving award to an NCC student

Unhappy over the cold treatment offered at the Holkar Stadium, Indore during an IPL match on Monday, Madhya Pradesh education minister Vijay Shah ordred to close a road leading to the playground, which passed from a government school. He also ordered removal of VIP parking from the school ground which was being used by MP Cricket Association (MPCA).

On Monday the official car of Shah, who came to watch the match between Kings XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders, was stopped several meters away from the stadium gate. The minister was made to walk to the gallery where he also struggled to locate his seat.

Later when the minister noticed officials of the district administration enjoying better seats in privileged areas and that their vehicles are allowed right inside the stadium, he called the city mayor for the “breach of protocol” of a cabinet minister.

The minister left the stadium asking officials of district administration and education department to close the illegal passage given to stadium authorities from the neighboring Vivekananda School. In order to ensure free movement of premium ticket holders, a special passage through school was made to Sandhya Agarwal gate of the stadium. The school playground was used for parking. The gates were closed on Tuesday when minister went for an inspection of the school.

The arrangements at the stadium between the IPL franchisee and local administration were criticized from the beginning. Franchisee co-owner Prieti Jinta had accepted that there were certain issues with local administration which could not be resolved. The Mayor Malini Gaud and Collector Nishant Warwade told media that we have not taken any complimentary tickets from the organizers.

According to the official staff of minister, “There was a serious breach in the laid protocol of a cabinet minister. Despite being an official programme of the minister, there was nobody to guide him at the venue. While the cars of officials were moving freely, the minister was asked to get down from his car’’.

Indore has become the venue for IPL matches since last year after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave permission to hold the short-form cricket. In 2012, he had refused to allow IPL matches being organized in state saying that he cannot allow ‘’half naked cheer-leaders’’ to spoil the culture of state. It was in 2017 IPL matches were allowed but an entertainment tax of 20 percent was levied on each ticket.