Himachal Congress seeks action against Thakur for links with 'bookies'

The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday demanded action against BCCI secretary and BJP MP Anurag Thakur for his alleged links with a suspected bookie over which ICC had also sent a letter to BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya.

State Congress chief spokesperson Naresh Chauhan said International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Dave Richardson had written a letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Anurag Thakur was seen socialising with Karan Gilhotra, who is a suspected bookie.

"It's a well-known fact that cricket is a glamorous sport which had been marred by controversies relating to match fixing by bookies," Chauhan said in a statement.

He said that with the introduction of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the reports of cricketers being persuaded by bookie for match fixing keep appearing in media every now and then.

The Congress spokesperson asked Thakur, who is also the president of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), to clarify his stand on the issue of his alleged relations with the bookie.

"Thakur who was seen socialising with Gilhotra at a function in Chandigarh, should explain to the general public and also to the cricket fans as to what is the nature of his relations with the bookie," he said.

Thakur couldn't be contacted for comments despite repeated calls.