Diana used position against me, coach Powar humiliated me: Mithali raj’s Explosive letter to BCCI
New Delhi, Nov 27: Senior Indian woman cricketer Mithali Raj Tuesday slammed Committee of Administrators member Diana Edulji and coach Ramesh Powar, saying the two are biased against her and have tried to "destroy" her.
In a scathing e-mail to the BCCI, which is in possession of PTI, Mithali said her axing from the World T20 semi final against England reduced her to tears and left her the most deflated in her over two-decade long career.
In the note to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and GM (Cricket Operations) Saba Karim, one of India's finest batswomen alleged that she was disrespected by the duo of Edulji and Powar.
"...I felt deflated, depressed and let down. I am forced to think if my services to my country are of any value to a few people in power who are out to destroy me and break my confidence," Mithali, also the ODI captain, wrote in her mail.
While Powar refused to comment on Mithali's allegations, Edulji could not be reached for a response.
Mithali spoke about how Edulji's stance backing her axing, made her feel "vulnerable". Edulji, in an interview to PTI, had stated that the team management's decision could not be questioned on selection matters.
"To put things in perspective, I have always reposed faith in diana Edulji and have always respected her and her position as a member of the COA.
"Never did I think she will use her position against me, more after hearing what all I had to go through in the Caribbean as I had spoken to her about it," Mithali wrote.
A source alleged that Mithali was forced by Edulji to divulge the details of her meeting with Johri and Karim on Monday.
"Her brazen support in the press with regard to the decision of my benching in the semi final of the T20 World Cup has left me deeply distressed, more because she knows the real facts having spoken to me," the player wrote.
Mithali has played 85 T20Is for India and has scored 2288 runs. She averages more than 50 in both the Test and ODI formats.
"May I say that I am aware that by writing this email I am making myself even more vulnerable. She is a COA member while I am just a player," she lamented.
"But the brazen support of a COA member is a clear sign of bias and also that a stance has already been taken against me. By saying 'I don't support someone' and then going all out to support my benching in the press is prejudice of the clearest sort," said Mithali.
She, however, made it clear that she has no hard feelings for T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was a party to the decision of her being dropped for the semi-finals and stood by it even after the defeat.
However, her relationship with Powar hit nadir in the West Indies and Mithali said she still hasn't understood the breakdown.
"My issues with the coach started immediately as we landed in the West Indies. At first there were small signs that his behaviour towards me was unfair and discriminatory," she alleged.
She said that Powar's behaviour caused her "stress".
"For instance, walking off if I am sitting anywhere around, watching in the nets when others bat but choosing to walk away when I am batting in nets, if I try to go up to him to talk to start looking into his phone and keep walking," she said.
"It was embarrassing and very evident to everyone that I was being humiliated. Yet I never lost my cool.
"Finding the situation completely out of control and realising that it is important to resolve issues as it affects the team I reached out to the team manager and conveyed my grievances."
According to Mithali things went from bad to worse after that.
"After the meeting his behaviour turned worse. He would not even acknowledge me. To him I didn't exist in the team.
"If I was around he would immediately move away from the scene, if I looked to wish him he would deliberately start looking in other direction. He continued to behave badly as I have already informed you yesterday. It appeared to me that for him the meeting had hurt his ego."
Mithali said she was even asked not to show up at the ground by Powar during the game against Australia.
"In the evening after the team meeting before the Australia game, Ramesh rings up in my room and instructs me not to come to the ground as the media will be there," she alleged.
"I was taken aback as to what media has to do with me being with the team. I was told I was not to be with my own team in one of our biggest games. I was shell shocked."
Mithali said Powar also deliberately ignored her at nets to make it clear she won't play the semi-finals after which she broke down.
"It was worrying and insulting because the coach was out to destroy and humiliate me," she wrote.
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Will give suitable answer on L&O situation in Karnataka during winter session: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said that he will give a suitable response in the state legislature about the law and order situation in Karnataka, if the opposition raises the matter to target the government.
Opposition BJP has made it clear that the law and order situation will be among the main issues that it will raise during the winter session.
The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will begin in Belagavi on December 8 and will go on till 19th of this month.
"I will give a suitable answer (in the Assembly), if they (opposition raise), as to how the law and order situation is in Karnataka and in BJP-ruled states. Also, how law and order was there when the BJP was in power in the state, and how it is now with figures," Parameshwara said in response to a question.
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Speaking to reporters here, he said he is not saying that there have been no incidents in the state, but it has to be told as to how the situation was there during the BJP's rule and how it is now.
Asked about how the government will defend notorious criminals and a terror suspect allegedly enjoying preferential treatment inside the Parappana Agrahara Central Jail, the home minister said, "When the majority of the incidents took place, which government was there? All this will be informed in the Assembly when the issue is raised."
Admitting that such incidents have occurred under the current government's tenure too, he said, appropriate action has also been taken against those involved and the officials responsible. "But, old videos were circulated and it was projected as it took place now. I will explain each incident," he added.
To a question on Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations of "multiple murders, rapes and burials" in the temple town of Dharmasthala, Parameshwara said, he would inform the factual position to the legislature, if raised in the House.
"SIT has submitted the report to the court. They have also submitted it to the government. If the issue is raised, we will inform the house. Factual position has to be told. What is there to hide?"
Asked about his meeting with senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi, amid leadership speculation in the state, Parameshwara said, some time the meeting with Jarkiholi might be on work-related matters as he holds a major PWD portfolio, while sometime it will be for casual political discussions.
"What is there to hide in it? We have met in the past too," he added.
