Conspiracy against me by anti-South lobby: Srinivasan

CHENNAI: BCCI president N Srinivasan on Friday said the charges made against him and his family were part of a conspiracy by a north Indian lobby in the cricket body to malign south Indians and Tamils in particular.

Asked about a tweet by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, who alleged that a north Indian lobby was targeting south Indians in the BCCI, Srinivasan said it was obvious. "It is an open secret that there is a conspiracy against south Indians," he said in an interview to a Tamil TV channel.

Forced to step aside for 'interim president' Jagmohan Dalmiya over the spot-fixing scandal and betting allegations against his son-in-law and former Chennai Super Kings principal Gurunath Meiyappan, Srinivasan said: "There is no charge against me but a lobby within the BCCI, which wanted to head the organisation but failed, has worked behind scenes to malign me. I will answer any number of questions. I have also the numbers within the BCCI. The truth will come out soon."

Srinivasan said the BCCI had no connections with bookies and he was shocked when Rajasthan Royals player S Sreesanth was linked to the betting scandal.

"Gurunath, for all the charges levelled against him, did not flee to another country," he said. "I have trust in him and believe that he will come out unscathed. The charges against him will be disproved."

Hitting out at the media for its coverage of the case, Srinivasan said: "There is absolutely no truth in the charges levelled against Gurunath."