IPL CHEERLEADER CONTROVERSY

Shatrughan Sinha irked over presence of IPL cheerleaders

Actor-turned politician Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday lashed out at organisers of IPL matches for bringing cheerleaders to the stadiums and making a "mockery" of cricket. ( Watch )

"If you are so interested in deploying these girls who dance after hits of fours and sixes, it is better to give chance to the bar girls who have been rendered unemployed after Maharashtra government put a ban on dance in bars," Sinha said over phone from Mumbai.

"I am afraid that cricket, which has been shortened from five days to one day and now to the T20 format, might be reduced to 'Toss-Toss' in which the winner will be decided through toss," he said sarcastically.

Strongly criticising the move to bring cheerleaders from abroad for performing what he termed as "indecent dance" during Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, Sinha said it was "difficult to find cricket in these matches".

Sinha, who was also Union minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government, took exception to the auctioning of players for the IPL tournament.

Shotgun Sinha appealed to the cricketing bosses to seriously ponder over the issue to save the glory of the great sport.

'Cheerleaders ok, if properly presented'

As cheerleaders at IPL cricket matches triggered a controversy, the National Commission For Women (NCW) felt there is nothing wrong with the concept but said the stage should be used to promote Indian culture by bringing folk dancers and musicians.

"I find nothing wrong with the concept if it is just for adding entertainment element to the game. It has to be presented in the right manner keeping the Indian values intact," NCW chairperson Girija Vyas said.

"I think we should promote our culture by bringing folk dancers and musicians in these matches. We have so much variety in our culture, dresses that after some point of time foreign countries will start imitating us."

Meanwhile, social activist Swami Agnivesh outrightly rejected the cheerleading concept and said it is degrading Indian culture.

"It is the height of vulgarity and it should be stopped. People in the age group of 10 to 70 years come to see matches with their families. In a country like India, the public representation of obscenity will not be tolerated," he said.

Some of the cheerleaders have been specially flown in from the US. The Vijay Mallya-owned Bangalore team has roped in "Washington Redskins Cheerleaders" to be its official cheerleaders. They will also select a group of cheerleaders in the country through a talent hunt.