Justice Mukul Mudgal ‘Apologises’ to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal For ‘Avoidable Inconvenience’
Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal, Delhi High Court-appointed observer for the Delhi Test, had earlier denied the Delhi government permission to felicitate World Cup winning cricketers at the Feroz Shah Kotla’s field of play.
He had maintained his poise and dignity in trying circumstances and as promised, Delhi High Court appointed observer for the Delhi Test, Justice (Retd) Mukul Mudgal quietly left with a note, which included an apology to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the cancellation of the felicitation ceremony on the third day of the last Test here. (Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Insisted on Felicitation on Kotla’s Field of Play: Mukul Mudgal)
“I regret the avoidable inconvenience caused to the Delhi Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal), Delhi Administration and the cricketers due to the cancellation of felicitation,” Mudgal wrote in his thanksgiving note, which was handed over to the mediapersons. (BCCI Denies Delhi Government Permission to Felicitate World Cup Winners at Kotla)
He also had an advice for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that it should try and make entry for school kids free in all Test centres across the country from now on.
Mudgal thanked “a very select group of DDCA officials” along with his associates, who worked tirelessly to make the match a huge success.
“They do not want to be named but are known to all,” he wrote referring to young Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) administrators — Salil Seth and Siddharth Sahib Singh Verma — who were there by his side.
While DDCA was represented by working president Chetan Chauhan along with BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, Justice Mudgal was nowhere to be seen after having successfully staged a Test match, which was in a mess because of an association mired in corruption and scandal.
It was another embarrassment for the DDCA, who could not convince Justice Mudgal to stay back as he was the man behind the smooth organisation of a Test match that otherwise would not have happened.
It was during the lunch break on Monday that Justice Mudgal called the journalists and gave his statement on the match. “I would not be staying till the end of the match. I would be submitting my report to the High Court in another 10 days time. I don’t wish to comment whether I would be there for the World T20,” he told PTI.
Asked if he would submit some recommendations about DDCA’s functioning to the Lodha Committee, which will recommend the reforms, Mudgal said: “I can’t say that. If they ask for it then the question arises.
“I am happy that Delhi has witnessed a Test match lasting five days. I am grateful Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva, who gave me opportunity to serve the cause of cricket. The real heroes apart from players were 40,000 school children who thronged to Kotla for the last five days,” he was quoted as saying by the release.
Justice Mudgal also wrote that he would be “submitting detailed report to Honourable Delhi High Court about the match and DDCA particularising the several challenges, which needs to be overcome when the match is next time played in Delhi.”
He thanked former Deputy CAG IP Singh for supervision of the tendering process. “The law enforcement authorities have fully co-operated though some difficulties need to be eliminated,” he wrote. He also said that there were issues about “feeding the children” due to the security concern.
Gracious as ever, he ended writing: “As the match has been organised at such a short notice, I take full responsibility for any inconvenience cause to all participants in a great Test match.”
