Kolkata, May 22 (IANS) The decision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to shift the final match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on June 3 from Eden Gardens in Kolkata to Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is a conspiracy against the West Bengal government, the Power and Sports Minister Arup Biswas said on Thursday.

He said that different reasons are being floated for the decision to change the venue of the IPL final.

“The BCCI is claiming that the likely weather condition in Kolkata on the day of the final match was the reason behind the decision. On the other hand, a senior BJP leader claimed that the venue was shifted due to security reasons. Who is correct?” Biswas said while speaking to the media persons.

West Bengal BJP chief and the Union Minister, Sukanta Majumdar, had earlier claimed in an X post that security reasons prompted the change in the venue of the IPL final. However, Majumdar deleted the post.

Meanwhile, Biswas claimed that the decision to change the venue of the IPL final is a result of the BJP’s narrow political strategies against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“This move is an insult to the West Bengal cricket lovers,” said the minister.

He said that till now, the Union government had been depriving the West Bengal government of central funds under different centrally-sponsored projects.

“Now they have deprived the sports lovers of West Bengal as well. I do not know when BCCI became a weather expert. In reality, the BJP is jealous of the Chief Minister and the development activities going on in West Bengal under her leadership,” he said.

Biswas said that the Union government does not want to miss a single opportunity to heckle the state government.

--IANS

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