Ind-SL match: Kerala sports minister's comments invite flak

Thiruvananthapuram: Last Sunday, Kerala Sports Minister V Abdulrahiman made a pretty problematic comment that those "starving" need not go and watch the ODI match between India and Sri Lanka.

Now, the low turnout at the stadium during the match has gathered severe flak from many quarters. The ODI match was staged in the Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium in the capital on Sunday. The match saw a considerably low turnout of spectators, IANS reported.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 55,000 spectators, was occupied only less than 10,000, it was learnt.

Kerala Cricket Association president Jayesh George said that he would apprise BCCI about the low turnout and added that he would also "communicate with the minister to remove his misunderstanding".

Last Sunday, Abdulrahiman told reporters about the low sales of match tickets, "What is the need to reduce the tax? The demand is that the country is witnessing a price rise, so the tax should be reduced. Those who are starving need not go and watch the match."

Meanwhile, KCA president claimed that CBSE examinations and the Pongal festival could have affected ticket sales. However, he did not seem appreciative of the minister's statement.

The prime opposition in the state Congress and the BJP came down strongly on the minister's statement.

Opposition leader V.D. Satheeshan said: "People were shocked to hear such an absurd and rude statement from a minister and the state's democratically elected government."

He also said the Chief Minister "should not allow the minister to sit for even a day in the chair".

Kerala unit BJP president K. Surendran said, "Abdulrahiman's statement was irresponsible", and the government should have withdrawn the steep hike in entertainment tax.